The Lewisham Dialysis Centre at University Hospital Lewisham has been rated outstanding by CQC, following its first inspection of the service.
The centre is run by Diaverum UK, in partnership with Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust, to provide specialist care to people requiring kidney treatment.
As well as being rated outstanding overall, the service was rated outstanding for being effective and well-led. It was rated good for being safe, caring and responsive to people’s needs.
Nicola Wise, CQC head of hospital inspection, said:
“I was pleased to find such outstanding care being given to patients at Lewisham Dialysis Centre, particularly considering the added pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Staff worked extremely well with patients and their families to ensure they were fully informed and able to make decisions about their care. Meeting the individual needs of people was a priority for the service and there was a strong emphasis on engaging with the community and other teams to ensure seamless and effective care.
“Clever use of technology was keeping patients safe and up-to-date about their treatment, and it was easy for them to access the service and give feedback on the care they had received.”
The use of innovative technology to ensure quicker and safer treatment was among the outstanding practice found at Lewisham Dialysis Centre. The service had also developed a mobile app, enabling patients to keep track of their treatment.
The service was in the process of promoting shared and self-care, to give patients more control and administer their own treatment.
Where people had showed intolerance to particular medical equipment, it proactively sourced alternatives, such as safe-touch catheter needles, to improve patient experience and outcomes.
There was also an effective patient scoring system in place to help staff monitor progress and treatment.
The inspection also found that:
- There were enough staff to care for patients and keep them safe
- Staff were focused on patients’ needs and understood how to apply the service’s visions and values to their roles
- Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness, and they respected their dignity and privacy
- People could access the service when they needed without long waits
- Leaders ran the service well and staff felt supported, respected and valued
- Managers monitored the effectiveness of the service, ensured all staff received mandatory training and were competent for their roles
- Succession planning was embedded in the service, and development opportunities for staff were encouraged and supported.
Full details of the inspection are given in the report published on our website.
Notes to editors
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