The Care Quality Commission (CQC) today publishes its latest report on Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust, commending clinical teams for the quality of specialist care they provide and for the compassion shown to patients.
Awarding the Trust a rating of ‘Good’, with several areas of outstanding practice identified, the CQC recognised that: “The Trust used a systematic approach to continually improving the quality of its services and safeguarding high standards of care by creating an environment in which excellence in clinical care would flourish.”
Assessing the Trust’s approach to care, the report recognised that “Staff cared for patients with compassion. Feedback from patients confirmed that staff treated them well and with kindness…Staff involved patients and those close to them in decisions about their care and treatment…Staff provided emotional support to patients to minimise their distress.”
Commenting on the report, Bob Bell, chief executive, said: “We welcome the findings of this report. Three of the four core services that were inspected were rated good (Children’s and Young People’s Services, Critical Care and Surgery at Royal Brompton Hospital) and one, Surgery at Harefield Hospital, was rated outstanding.
“This is an impressive and well-deserved achievement, especially for the surgery teams at Harefield Hospital who were commended for their approach to a number of issues around safety, culture and innovation. I am pleased that their continued commitment to providing exceptional care for patients has been recognised in this way.
“‘Outstanding practice’ was also identified in Critical Care and Children’s and Young People’s services at Royal Brompton Hospital. Overall, the Critical Care team: ‘demonstrated excellent multidisciplinary working practices which enabled collaboration in improvement projects and enhanced patient care,’ and the accredited intensive care course for nurses was praised for enabling 63 per cent of nurses to gain the qualification, significantly exceeding national guidance.
“It was a similar story for Children’s and Young People’s services: ‘The service went above and beyond for its patients and patient families; there was clear evidence of research, innovative and outstanding practice; staff spoke very highly of the culture of the service and the staff survey results were consistently high for workplace satisfaction.”
Between 16 and 18 October 2018, the CQC inspected four of the seven core services provided by the Trust: Critical Care and Children's and Young People's Services at Royal Brompton Hospital, and Surgery at Royal Brompton Hospital and Harefield Hospital. The Trust was rated safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.
Bob Bell concluded: “It was clear to the CQC that we are an organisation that steadfastly prioritises one thing above all else; delivering the best possible specialist care. Whatever else changes in the environment around us, patients will remain our focus, and our commitment to them will guide everything that we do.”