CQC finds happy, safe and well-treated patients at Care UK treatment centre

Company news

Sep 01, 2016

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors have rated Emersons Green NHS Treatment Centre as ‘good’ on all aspects of care, patient safety and management, following an announced visit to the centre.

After a very comprehensive inspection, the national healthcare watchdog found the treatment centre, which provides surgery, outpatient and diagnostic imaging services for a broad range of specialities, achieved the requirements to be assessed as ‘good’ on safety, caring, effectiveness, responsiveness and leadership.

Best practice was evident throughout the treatment centre and inspectors also saw several areas of outstanding practice including care, safety, responsiveness, engagement, multidisciplinary team work and leadership.

According to the inspection report, ‘all staff demonstrated genuine compassion for the people in their care, which was embedded into the culture of the departments’. The report also said that patients were seen as individuals, care was tailored to them and explained clearly at each step of the way.

Hospital director Pamela Mackie said her team were delighted that their ongoing care and professionalism had been praised by the inspectors: “Our teams treat each patient as unique. They work with patients and their families to ensure they receive the best possible care, communicating how their treatment will proceed in ways that patients understand.”

Inspectors praised the centre’s senior management who they describe as a visible, enthusiastic, committed team delivering safe, patient-centred care. They also praised the centre’s strong culture of openness and transparency.

There was praise too for the centre’s outstanding work with its patient forum, its effective complaints procedure (which has shown learning from any complaints received) and its pharmacy teamwork devising simplified instructions for patients’ medication.

The responsiveness of the treatment centre to local needs was also highlighted in the report, with inspectors noting that management worked with local Clinical Commissioning Groups, GPs and the patient forum to plan and develop services for the local population. The report notes that the centre was meeting all of its referral-to-treatment standards and that all waiting times for a first appointment were six weeks or under.

Pamela added: “Our desire to deliver first-class care has made us highly responsive to our patients’ needs. Inspectors saw that patients with additional needs, such as those with learning difficulties, were offered extra support, such as longer clinic appointments, and pre-procedure experience visits along with their relatives or carers.

“As our population continues to age, we are further developing our ability to support those people living with dementia by creating a physically as well as emotionally supportive environment.

“The team are looking forward to continuing our work liaising with GPs, stakeholders and our patients’ forum to ensure we provide local people with the responsive and caring service they deserve.”