‘Outstanding’ CQC results for adult community services in Bath and North East Somerset
‘Excellent’ adult community services staff in Bath and North East Somerset provide a ‘first class service’ say patients and carers.
The positive comments were made during the latest Care Quality Commission inspections, which have resulted in ‘outstanding’ ratings for a large number of the services delivered by HCRG Care Group on behalf of Bath and North East Somerset Council and the NHS.
The CQC visited three sites out of which adult community services operate. All the services registered at Keynsham Health Centre were rated ‘outstanding’, with particular praise given to:
- District nurses working alongside GPs in their phlebotomy clinics and working with tissue viability nurses to provide support to GPs with pressure ulcer clinics.
- The intravenous therapy team, which developed an education video to help GP practice nurses fit peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) lines to help reduce waiting times.
- The community wellbeing hub and how it works in partnership with other organisations to quickly respond to changing service pressures.
Adult community services operating out of St Martin’s Hospital were also rated ‘outstanding’, with the CQC applauding the teams for their high quality person-centred care; good care records and safe management of medicines; and how they work with partner organisations and the local community to plan services and ensure people’s needs are met.
Children and young people’s community services were rated ‘good’, with the report highlighting good care, treatment and infection risk control. Leaders have the skills and abilities to run the service and staff understand how to protect children, young people and their families from abuse and work well with the wider system.
Urgent care services at Paulton Hospital were also rated ‘good’ with areas of outstanding practice, including:
- Innovative approaches to providing integrated person-centred pathways of care involving other providers. The Minor Injuries Unit worked closely with a neighbouring emergency department to reduce the number of patients who had to wait there overnight. The unit also worked with the local ambulance service to divert patients from emergency departments to the MIU.
- The virtual MIU developed during the COVID-19 pandemic to keep the service running while reducing the risk of infection, a concept later adopted by other MIUs.
Two areas were flagged as requiring improvement by the CQC – Sulis Ward at St Martin’s Hospital, and John Stacey Ward at Paulton Memorial Hospital, which both provide rehabilitation for patients.
Val Scrase, HCRG Care Group Regional Director for Bath and North East Somerset, said: “We are delighted that the CQC has recognised the work we have done to improve adult community services across Bath and North East Somerset, and the outstanding areas of practice really are testament to the innovative, dedicated teams that we have delivering services for the benefit of our service users and the community.
“We do recognise that there is still work to be done within our community hospitals and we are already implementing action plans to ensure that the performance of these services match the high standards we have continually demonstrated in other areas.
“We remain fully focused and committed to our partnership in Bath and North East Somerset.”
The majority of CQC-inspected services run by HCRG Care Group are rated good or outstanding.
