The Care Quality Commission has found significant improvements at Butterwick Hospice, in Stockton-on-Tees, and upgraded the rating from inadequate to good following an inspection in May.
Butterwick Hospice is a purpose-built hospice run by Butterwick Ltd providing end of life care for adults living in the Stockton Borough Council geographical area.
As well as the overall rating improving, the ratings for how safe, effective, responsive, and well-led the hospice are, have also improved from inadequate to good.
Victoria Marsden, CQC deputy director of operations in the north, said:
“We found the service had made significant improvements since our last inspection with the registered manager responding positively to the concerns raised and conditions we imposed to focus their attention on specific improvements. People told us they now felt safe, and that staff were attentive, welcoming, and supported them to be as independent as possible.
“An effective partnership with the local NHS trust was in place, and senior leaders from the hospice told us that they were active members of Hospices North East and Cumbria, a collective group working towards achieving excellence. The service had clearly benefited from the shared knowledge and skills this partnership brought, improving people’s experiences as a result.
“Staff treated people with kindness and respect whilst demonstrating effective communication skills. Unprompted feedback from relatives described care as being of the highest standard and that it enabled people to have a dignified end.
“Everyone at Butterwick Hospice should be proud of their efforts to improve the service. We have shared our findings with them so they can continue to build on their progress.”
Inspectors found:
- Staff were visible and available on the ward and people found them to be helpful and approachable
- Staff actively involved people in their own health monitoring including with external with health and care professionals
- People felt involved in decisions about their care
- People were provided with the appropriate equipment for their individually assessed needs, such as airflow mattresses and routine monitoring for positioning to avoid them from getting pressure sores
- Risk assessments were in place to support people who had additional needs around things like risks of falls, or eating and drinking
- The service controlled infection risk well and the equipment and the premises were visibly clean. Staff used equipment and control measures to protect people using the service, themselves, and others from infection
- Controlled substances and hazardous equipment were securely locked away, and a fire evacuation plan was in place with all related appliances in working order
- All staff had opportunities to learn, and poor performance was managed appropriately
- The service had enough nursing, allied healthcare professional and support staff to keep patients safe. There was a service level agreement, with the local NHS trust, to ensure consistent staffing numbers. All staff were subject to a DBS check.
Inspectors also found
- Volunteers did not always receive the correct level of safeguarding training; however, the service took immediate action to arrange training following this assessment
- Documents used to capture individuals’ preferences to ensure equity in experiences and outcomes were incomplete.
The report will be published on CQC’s website in the next few days.