Hospice at Home service receives ‘Outstanding’ rating by CQC in first inspection

Hospice at Home, a palliative care service at St. Luke’s Hospice in Basildon, has been rated ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) following its first inspection.

The service, which was inspected last month [July 2019], supports people to be cared for at home as they reach the end of their lives. It also facilitates rapid discharge from hospital, getting people home quickly when it’s their wish, and helps avoid often unnecessary and unwanted hospital admissions.

It was awarded the CQCs top rating for being ‘well-led’, ‘responsive’ and ‘caring’. It was rated ‘Good’ for being safe and effective.

In the glowing report, CQC inspectors praised the “dedicated staff” who were “well-trained” and “passionate”. It highlighted that staff “placed people and their families at the heart of the service” and that people received “exceptionally good” palliative and end-of-life care.

The report also recognised the strong links forged with other professionals and the effectiveness of collaborative working, which helps ensure people’s needs are met in a timely way and to ensure continuous improvements in end-of-life care.  

As part of the reporting, the CQC Inspectors shared feedback on the service from patients, their relatives and professionals, which was overwhelmingly positive about the caring attitude of staff and the impact the service had on their lives. One person said:

“It’s rare in this day and age to say it but you cannot fault them, they are the definition of a carer; they genuinely care about what they are doing; it’s not just a job. I couldn’t exist without them, I would be back in hospital.” Another relative told inspectors: “They are so helpful and whatever you ask them to do, they help you with. I would struggle on my own.”

Gill Booth, Head of Community Services at St. Luke’s Hospice, said:

“This rating is a huge credit to all our staff and the Hospice management, the CCGs for supporting us and for the partnership with SPDNS Nurse Care. The team work together – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – in a truly dedicated and passionate way.

“Our Hospice at Home service gives people the choice of being cared for in the comfort of their own home which is incredibly important, and it also helps avoid unnecessary and often unwanted trips to hospital. I’m extremely proud of the team and thank everyone for their hard work and commitment to the service and the people we support.”

Hospice at Home is a partnership between St. Luke’s Hospice and SPDNS Nurse Care. The service operates in the Billericay, Wickford, Basildon and Thurrock areas. For more information and to find out about the services available at St. Luke’s Hospice visit www.stlukeshospice.com or call the Hospice on 01268 524973. 

To read the full report, visit the CQC website: www.cqc.org.uk

Image: The Hospice at Home team at St. Luke’s Hospice