Improvements in compassionate care for patients nearing the end of their lives have seen Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust’s end-of-life services upgraded from ‘inadequate’ to ‘good’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
Inspectors praised the significant progress made at Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby and Scunthorpe General Hospital, highlighting the compassionate, dignified and personalised care being provided to patients and their families during some of the most difficult moments of their lives.
Inspectors found clear improvements in the way people needing end-of-life care are identified and supported. Dedicated and knowledgeable specialist teams were helping ensure patients received timely and personalised care, while continuity of care meant patients were often supported by the same specialist throughout their journey.
Lyn Simpson, Group Chief Executive, said: “I am very pleased we’ve been able to make these improvements for patients in our community. End of life is an extremely difficult time for patients and their loved ones, and we want to ensure they receive the best care during this period. I’d like to say a big thank you to our staff who have worked extremely hard to make this possible.”
Feedback from patients and families was particularly positive. Relatives told inspectors they felt emotionally supported by staff, who were sensitive to the challenges associated with life-limiting illness and changes in treatment. Inspectors also observed warm and trusting relationships between staff, patients and their loved ones, with staff taking time to listen carefully and respond to individual needs.
The report highlighted a number of strengths across the services. Both hospitals had effective systems in place to learn from incidents, accidents and near misses, helping to drive continuous improvement. Staff were found to respect people’s religious, cultural and social needs, and ensure care reflected individual beliefs and preferences. Leaders had also implemented training and support to help staff care for people with a range of additional needs, including dementia, learning disabilities, autism and mental health conditions.
Inspectors noted staff responded calmly and compassionately to people who were anxious, distressed or frightened, and acted in patients’ best interests when individuals lacked the capacity to make decisions for themselves. The full report for Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital and Scunthorpe General Hospital is available on the CQC website.