Shepton Mallet NHS Treatment Centre scores top marks for food and hygiene

Company news

Oct 01, 2013

Care UK’s Shepton Mallet NHS Treatment Centre was awarded top marks for its food, its wards and its well-motivated and efficient team by assessors in a recently published patient-led inspection report.

In January 2012, Prime Minister David Cameron called for a new patient- led inspection of hospitals’ environments and in June, the treatment centre underwent its first Patient Led Assessment of Care Environment (PLACE).

The scores awarded to the centre by the assessors were:

• Cleanliness : 100 percent
• Food : 99.3 percent
• Privacy, Dignity and Wellbeing : 94.4 percent
• Condition, Appearance and Maintenance : 97.3 percent

The Patient Assessors – specially trained patients from the local area who can look at the services from the patients’ perspective – lead the assessment and, at Shepton Mallet, two patient assessors took part. PLACE covers a broad range of issues including privacy and dignity, cleanliness, food quality and the decor and maintenance of the building; as the team is led by patients, the assessment places patients’ views at the centre of the review.

Following the assessment, Catherine Farr, the treatment centre’s head of nursing, said: “The assessors have access to all areas that a patient would visit. We took them to the wards, to our preadmission and recovery unit, outpatients and all other public areas of the centre.”

The assessors were particularly keen to test the centre’s food and to talk to the patients about their impression of the care they received.

Catherine added: “The assessors observed the meals being served and tasted every option on the menu to ensure they saw everything. They then spoke to two patients for some time and I am delighted to say the feedback was excellent.

“The assessors judged the food on taste, texture and temperature and said in their report that it was of five star quality. Our chef was delighted!”

Chester Barnes, hospital director at NHS Treatment Centre, said: “This initiative reflects the importance of meeting the needs and expectations of patients in the provision of healthcare services and I am delighted that the assessors have commented so positively.

“Patient safety, high-quality care and choice are central to everything we do and so it was very rewarding to hear the assessors congratulating the team on their care, efficiency, motivation and achievements at the centre.”