THE SHAKESPEARE Hospice has been awarded an ‘outstanding’ rating by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) – the highest recognition possible for health and care services in England.
The upping of the rating from good reflects both the clinical excellence and the kindness, dignity and respect shown by staff at the Shottery-based hospice to patients and their families.
Carolyn Jenkinson, CQC deputy director of hospitals in the West Midlands, said: “At The Shakespeare Hospice we found a service committed to providing exceptional care during some of the most difficult times of people’s lives. People were extremely positive about the care and support they received and told us staff were friendly and explained their treatment in ways they could understand. Relatives told us the hospice had a warm and welcoming environment.
“Throughout our visit, it was clear staff had a deep understanding and respect of how challenging a time it was for the people in their care and their families. They listened to people, recognising when it was appropriate to discuss certain topics and elements of their care. We also saw that staff weren’t afraid to have frank and necessary conversations about living well, dying and death in a supportive and comforting manner.
“By finding out what was important to people, staff helped them maintain this for as long as possible. They supported a father of young children who was reluctant to take pain relief medication. After getting to know him, they found out this was because he was worried he wouldn’t be able to read a bedtime story to his children if his medication made him drowsy. Staff were able to explain how medication would improve his quality of life and how doses could be timed to ensure this didn’t interrupt their routine.
“Staff worked collaboratively with other services and healthcare partners to ensure people received consistent care. They used a shared electronic patient record accessed by other teams including district nurses, community palliative care and GP surgeries. This ensured staff had accurate and up-to-date information about people’s care and needs.
“Staff and leaders at The Shakespeare Hospice should be proud of the many positive findings in our report, which highlight their exceptional and important care and support.”
Shakespeare Hospice chief executive Tracey Sheridan said they were “absolutely thrilled” and it was a “moment of immense pride” for everyone connected with the hospice.
She continued: “This rating reflects the passion, skill and compassion of our incredible clinical teams, staff and volunteers, who give their all every single day to support our patients and their loved ones. It also belongs to our local community, whose ongoing support enables us to deliver such high-quality care.
“We remain committed to building on this success and continuing to provide outstanding, compassionate care for everyone who needs us.”
The Shakespeare Hospice gets 12 per cent of its funding from the NHS and relies significantly on charitable funding from its local communities to meet its £3milllion annual costs.
Visit www.theshakespearehospice.org.uk for further details.
