28 and 29 June 2022
During a routine inspection
Our rating of this surgical service went down. We rated it as requires improvement because:
- Many wards did not have enough nursing staff to be able to spend time with their patients and met their individual needs. There was a high reliance on bank and agency nurses.
- There were numerous examples of medical devices that were past their next service date and staff were not checking this themselves before use.
- People could not always access the service when they needed it and sometimes had to wait too long for treatment.
- Staff did not always appropriately monitor room temperatures and take appropriate action if medicines have been stored outside of their required parameters.
- Staff did not always ensure that full, partly full and empty oxygen cylinders are segregated.
- Several patients who spent a long time in hospital complained that there were no entertainment facilities in their rooms.
However:
- The service had enough staff to keep patients safe. Staff had training in key skills, understood how to protect patients from abuse, and managed safety well. The service controlled infection risk well. Staff assessed risks to patients, acted on them and kept good care records. They managed medicines well. The service managed safety incidents well and learned lessons from them.
- Staff provided good care and treatment, gave patients enough to eat and drink, and gave them pain relief when they needed it. Managers monitored the effectiveness of the service and made sure staff were competent. Staff worked well together for the benefit of patients, advised them on how to lead healthier lives, supported them to make decisions about their care, and had access to good information. Key services were available seven days a week.
- Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, took account of their individual needs, and helped them understand their conditions. They provided emotional support to patients, families and carers.
- The service planned care to meet the needs of local people, took account of patients’ individual needs, and made it easy for people to give feedback.
- Leaders ran services well using reliable information systems and supported staff to develop their skills. Staff understood the service’s vision and values, and how to apply them in their work. Staff felt respected, supported and valued. They were focused on the needs of patients receiving care. Staff were clear about their roles and accountabilities. The service engaged well with patients and the community to plan and manage services and all staff were committed to improving services continually.