The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has rated Ashgate Hospice in Chesterfield as outstanding following an unannounced inspection in December.
The service, run by Ashgate Hospicecare Limited, is a 21-bed inpatient hospice with a community nursing team, day hospice and therapies and lymphoedema care. It provides specialist palliative and end-of-life care for adults with life-limiting and incurable illnesses.
Following this inspection CQC has again rated the service as outstanding overall, as well as for being caring, responsive and well-led. How safe the service has been re-rated as good, and effective has improved from good to outstanding.
Greg Rielly, CQC deputy director of operations in the midlands, said:
At this inspection, staff and leaders at Ashgate Hospice clearly demonstrated how they provide compassionate care and support that makes a real difference during a difficult time for people and their families.
We found that staff treated people with dignity and respect and made sure that their individual needs were considered. We saw staff take pride in their kindness and compassion while building meaningful relationships with families.
Staff encouraged people and their families to be involved in their own care and treatment planning. This gave people choice and control in how they completed their care journey, in surroundings they chose, with the people they love by their side.
Staff worked well with external partners around admissions and discharges to ensure people received consistent and high-quality care. They also made information readily available and easy to access.
A specialist nursing team responded quickly to people in the community as part of a virtual ward. People or their family could contact the service if their health deteriorated. The team then responded within a few hours providing additional support, including face-to-face contact and additional equipment if necessary.
Overall, everyone at Ashgate Hospice should be very proud of the findings of this report. We saw some excellent examples of care and support that was reflected in the experiences of people we spoke to.
Inspectors found:
- Staff attended weekly ward round meetings with people receiving care, their families and partners organisations.
- Leaders created an environment that helped staff perform their roles safely, compassionately and effectively. They had clear responsibilities, roles and systems that allowed them to manage and deliver high-quality, sustainable care for people using the service.
- The service had all the necessary resources and equipment available to respond quickly to the needs of people both on the ward and out in the community.
- Staff provided care and treatment that considered people’s social, cultural and religious needs. They supported people to remain as independent as possible.
- Leaders investigated incidents to take appropriate action, identify learning opportunities and reduce the risk of these happening again. They organised debrief meetings for staff to discuss incidents and identify any potential service improvements.
- The hospice made sure that people who had specific communication needs had resources and adaptations to help them communicate.
- Staff knew how to identify safeguarding concerns, make referrals and address any incidents.
- The hospice made several spaces available for people to enjoy time with their families and take part in activities.
The report will be published on CQC’s website in the next few days.