Lister Hospital

Updated 3 November 2023

Lister Hospital is a 566-bed district general hospital situated in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. The hospital provides a wide range of acute inpatient, outpatient, and minor treatment services, including an emergency department and maternity care, as well as regional and sub-regional services in renal medicine, urology, and plastic surgery. General wards are supported by critical care (intensive care and high dependency) and coronary care units, as well as pathology, radiology, and other diagnostic services.

Since October 2014, Lister hospital has been the trust’s main hospital for specialist inpatient and emergency care. It provides care 365 days a year, seven days a week.

Updated 3 November 2023

Updated 18 December 2019

Our rating of this service improved. We rated it as good because:

• The service provided mandatory training in key skills to all staff and made sure most staff completed it.
• Staff understood how to protect patients from abuse and the service worked well with other agencies to do so. Staff had training on how to recognise and report abuse and they knew how to apply it.
• The service provided care and treatment based on national guidance and best practice. Managers checked to make sure staff followed guidance. Staff protected the rights of patients subject to the Mental Health Act 1983.
• Staff monitored the effectiveness of care and treatment. They used the findings to make improvements and achieved good outcomes for patients.
• Staff treated children, young people and their families with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, and took account of their individual needs.
• The service was inclusive and took account of children, young people and their families individual needs and preferences. Staff made reasonable adjustments to help patients access services. They coordinated care with other services and providers.
• 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. They supported staff to develop their skills and take on more senior roles.
• Staff felt respected, supported and valued. They were focused on the needs of patients receiving care. The service promoted equality and diversity in daily work, and provided opportunities for career development. The service had an open culture where patients, their families and staff could raise concerns without fear.

However,

• The service did not always use systems and processes to safely prescribe, administer, record and store medicines.

Updated 18 December 2019

Our rating of this service stayed the same. We rated it as good because:

• The service had enough staff to care for patients and keep them 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. Safety incidents were managed well and learned lessons were learnt from them. Staff collected safety information and used it to improve the service.
• 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 consistently 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. People could generally access the service when they needed it and did not have to wait too long for treatment.
• 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.

Updated 18 December 2019

Our rating of this service stayed the same. We rated it as requires improvement because:

• Not all computer systems were available to staff which meant there was an increased risk some patient information could be missed. Patient safety incidents were not managed well. Not all incidents were reported when required and the cascading of learning from incidents was not consistent.
• Not all audits were completed in accordance with the internal audit programme. Performance data was not captured in one place and not all staff were aware of their ward/specialty performance, or areas for improvement. Not all staff had the skills and experience to meet the needs of patients. The delivery of end of life care training across the hospital was inconsistent.
• It was not known if waiting times from referral to achievement of preferred place of care and death were in line with good practice.
• Governance processes did not support consistent learning from the performance of the service. Although there was some discussion of incidents and risks in meetings, such as the end of life care steering group, information was sometimes missing, and escalation of issues was unclear. Systems for identifying risks, planning to eliminate or reduce them, and coping with both the expected and unexpected were not effective. Risks to the service were not always identified or progressed.

However,

• The service had enough staff to care for patients and keep them 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.
• Staff provided evidence based care and treatment, gave patients enough to eat and drink, and gave them pain relief when they needed it. Staff worked well together for the benefit of patients, 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.

Updated 3 November 2023

Updated 18 December 2019

This is the first time we have inspected outpatients separately from diagnostic imaging so we cannot compare previous ratings. We rated it as good because:

• The service had enough staff to care for patients and keep them 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 mostly 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 collected safety information and used it to improve the service.
• 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. People could access the service when they needed it and did not have to wait too long for treatment.
• 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.

Updated 3 November 2023

Updated 3 November 2023