England’s Chief Inspector of Hospitals has welcomed improvements in the quality of services for patients during an inspection of Solent NHS Trust. As a result of the inspection, the trust is now rated as Good overall.
A team of inspectors from the Care Quality Commission visited the trust during October and November 2018 to check the quality of community health services for adults and community health services for children, young people and families. Inspectors also looked at five mental health core services: acute wards for adults of working age and psychiatric intensive care units (PICUs), long stay/rehabilitation mental health wards for working age adults,
wards for older people with mental health problems, mental health crisis services and health based places of safety community based mental health services for older people.
CQC also looked specifically at management and leadership to answer the key question: Is the trust well led?
Previously in June 2016, the trust was rated Good for being caring and responsive and Requires Improvement for being safe, effective and well led. As a result of this inspection the trust is now rated as Good for being safe, effective, responsive and well led. The trust is now rated as Outstanding for being caring. Overall, the trust is now rated as Good, a step up from its previous rating of Requires Improvement.
Dr Nigel Acheson, CQC’s Deputy Chief Inspector of Hospitals for the south, said:
“Since we last inspected, staff at Solent NHS Trust has worked to ensure that improvements have been embedded. I am pleased that the trust has taken to heart the findings from our previous inspection reports and built on them to provide improved services to the people of Hampshire. I also want to congratulate them from moving from Requires Improvement to achieving their overall Good rating.
“Our inspectors found a board that was experienced, strong and driven by organisational values. They understood the challenges to providing high-quality, sustainable services. They were supported by a committed, caring workforce who treated patients with compassion and dignity while providing them with the emotional support they needed.
“However, there are some areas within the trust that still need work, but the board leadership are already of aware of these areas We will return at a later date to check on the further progress the trust has made.”
Inspectors found that the community adults services planned and provided services in a way that met the needs of local people. Services were organised and delivered to take account of and meet the needs of different people, including those in vulnerable circumstances. There was effective cross team working both across the community adults and with organisations outside the trust with staff of different teams working
Within the mental health services and throughout the trust as a whole, inspectors found staff were respectful, compassionate and kind towards patients. Staff were friendly, approachable and supportive. Inspectors did observe conversations between staff and patients demonstrating highly motivated care provided in a way that promoted patient’s dignity.
In mental health crisis services and health-based places of safety staff completed assessments straight after admission and developed treatment plans that were focussed on patients’ recovery
There were rigorous systems in place to keep staff and patients safe. Staff knew how to report incidents and how to make referrals to local safeguarding teams. The teams learnt from incidents and could show changes they had made to prevent similar incidents happening. Staff assessed and reviewed patient risk regularly.