Newmarket Hospital

Updated 4 August 2016

The Rosemary Ward is a 16 bedded reablement unit to help patients recover after a period of ill health.

The ward is based at the Newmarket Community Hospital on Exning Road in Newmarket and provides a “stepping stone” service for patients that are medically fit to leave hospital but need further support to return home safely. The ward admits patients over the age of 18. The majority of admissions are via the West Suffolk hospital, but some patients are admitted from a neighbouring provider hospital and some are community admissions to avoid admission to acute services. Occasionally patients in need of palliative care are admitted. Patients are encouraged towards independence through occupational therapy and physiotherapy. The average length of stay is around 24 days.

This was an announced inspection undertaken as part of a comprehensive inspection of West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust.

Updated 4 August 2016

Updated 4 August 2016

Services in the Rosemary Ward at Newmarket Community Hospital were rated as good.

Patients were cared for by competent and caring staff who had the training and experience to provide safe and effective service. Staffing levels were appropriate for the acuity of patients and use of agency staffing was minimal. Staff were well informed regarding the care and support that patients required and there was effective multi-disciplinary working.

The service was responsive to people’s needs and wishes, including those who were approaching the end of their lives. However, patients were having to wait longer to access the service due to shortages in community provision for people who were ready to be discharged.

The service was well led and well managed. There was an open, learning culture with a readiness to learn from incidents and complaints. Regular audits ensured that performance was monitored and action taken to drive improvement, such as in the completion of patients’ records. Risk were identified, including that some equipment was outdated.