Supportive Care (UK) Ltd Head Office

Updated 3 July 2023

Supportive Care (UK) Ltd Head Office is operated by Supportive Care (UK) Ltd and located in Cheadle, Stockport.

The service provides supportive, palliative and end of life care to patients and their carers from diagnosis onwards, including treatment related problems. Provision of care is for private and self-funding patients, over the age of 18 years.

The service offers supportive oncology care 24 hours per day, seven days a week, to patients at any point of their pathway, curative or non-curative and including survivors of cancer.

The service operates a premises-based model for patients of The Christie Private Care (TCPC) part of HCA Healthcare UK. They also provide a service level agreement at the private Alexandra Hospital in Manchester.

Patients are referred to the service from these hospital sites and are referred at any stage for problems requiring supportive care input. Referrals span across the entire range of cancer disease types, including rare and haematological cancers. The service receives referrals for patients across Greater Manchester and beyond.

The service has two clinical nurse specialists, three consultants who work under practicing privileges and a lead operational nurse who is also the registered manager. The team provides care and treatment to inpatients in addition to remote consultations. They also offer outpatient clinics throughout the week.

Activity during the reporting period April 2022 to March 2023:

• There were 200 new consultations and 559 follow up consultations.
• There were 130 patients seen by the clinical nurse specialists and 118 follow up appointments.
• There were 79 patients new to the service seen by the clinical nurse specialists.
• There were 97 inpatient contacts and 46 outpatient contacts with the clinical nurse specialists.

Supportive Care (UK) Ltd Head Office has been registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) since April 2019 and is registered to provide treatment of disease, disorder or injury (TDDI). The regulated activity of TDDI applies to the care and treatment provided by the clinical nurse specialists.

The service was previously registered at a different address from November 2018 to April 2019 and has been monitored through our engagement and transitional monitoring approach.

The registered manager has been in post for three years, although they were employed by the service five years prior in other roles.

We have not previously inspected Supportive Care (UK) Ltd Head Office.

Updated 3 July 2023

We have not previously rated this location. We rated it as good because:

• The service provided mandatory training in key skills to all staff and made sure everyone completed it. The service received assurance through audit feedback and monthly meetings with the partners. Staff recognised and reported incidents and near misses. Managers investigated incidents and shared lessons learned with the whole team and the wider service. Staff identified and quickly acted upon patients at risk of deterioration. Risk assessments considered patients who were deteriorating and in the last days or hours of their life. The service had enough staff with the right qualifications, skills, training and experience to keep patients safe from avoidable harm and to provide the right care and treatment.
• The service provided care and treatment based on national guidance and evidence-based practice. The service made adjustments for patients’ religious, cultural and other needs. Staff assessed and monitored patients regularly to see if they were in pain and gave pain relief in a timely way. They supported those unable to communicate using suitable assessment tools and gave additional pain relief to ease pain. Staff worked together as a team with other doctors, nurses and health care professionals to benefit patients. They supported each other to provide good care. Key services were available seven days a week to support timely patient care.
• Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, and took account of their individual needs. Staff provided emotional support to patients, families and carers to minimise their distress. They understood patients' personal, cultural and religious needs. Staff supported and involved patients, families and carers to understand their condition and make decisions about their care and treatment.
• The service planned and provided care in a way that met the needs of local people and the communities served. The service was inclusive and took account of patients’ individual needs and preferences. Staff made reasonable adjustments to help patients access services. They coordinated care with other services and providers. Patients could access specialist supportive and palliative care when they needed it within agreed timeframes and national targets. The service had no waiting list and patients received the right care promptly.
• Leaders had the skills and abilities to run the service. They understood and managed the priorities and issues the service faced. They were visible and approachable in the service for patients and staff. Staff felt respected, supported and valued. They were focused on the needs of patients receiving care. They had a good understanding of quality improvement methods and the skills to use them. Leaders encouraged innovation and a proactive approach to implementing new models of care. The service shared work locally, nationally and internationally.

However:

• The service had not formally collated patient feedback specifically to Supportive Care UK patients for the previous 12 months; however, this had been implemented following our inspection.

Updated 3 July 2023

We have not previously inspected the service. We rated it as good. See the overall summary for details.