The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has rated four services run by our Trust as 'Good' following inspections in October.

CQC carried out an unannounced inspection of urgent and emergency care, end of life care, and services for children and young people at Warwick Hospital, and the Trust’s community end of life care. 

CQC has again rated end of life care, community end of life care and services for children and young people as 'Good', and urgent and emergency care has been rated 'Good'. 

The overall rating for Warwick Hospital remains 'Good', and the overall rating for South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust remains 'Outstanding'.

Fiona Burton, Chief Nursing Officer at South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are pleased that the Care Quality Commission has again recognised the high standard of care being delivered across our services, with urgent and emergency care now rated ‘Good’, alongside continued ‘Good’ ratings for end-of-life care, community end of life care, and services for children and young people

“These findings reflect the dedication, compassion and professionalism of our staff, volunteers, and partners, who work every day to provide safe, high-quality care for our patients and communities. It is particularly encouraging that inspectors recognised our positive culture, strong leadership, collaborative working, and commitment to continuous improvement.

“We are also delighted that Warwick Hospital has retained its overall ‘Good’ rating, and our Trust remains ‘Outstanding’. This reflects the ongoing commitment of our teams across all services. We will continue using this feedback to build on our strengths and further improve the care and support we provide to patients and their families.”

Carolyn Jenkinson, CQC deputy director of hospitals in the midlands, said: “During our inspection of South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust’s services, we found the Trust was providing a consistently good level of care across the departments we visited. This care was underpinned by committed staff who listened to people’s needs and strong leaders who created a culture of continuous learning and improvement.

“Leaders and staff at South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust should be pleased with the positive findings in our reports. We look forward to seeing their continued progress.”

Inspectors found in urgent and emergency care services:

  • Leaders built an open and supportive culture where people could raise concerns, which were investigated and used to make improvements. 
  • Leaders proactively supported staff and collaborated with partners to deliver care that was integrated and sustainable.
  • Teams and services worked collaboratively together to provide a consistent experience that put people at the heart of decisions.
  • Leaders ensured there were enough staff to provide personalised care that kept people safe.

Inspectors found in end of life care:

  • People and their families told inspectors they were happy with their care and that staff treated them with kindness and compassion.
  • The service had a positive learning culture where managers thoroughly reviewed incidents and staff identified areas to improve and innovate, improving people’s experiences. Staff and people using the service felt comfortable raising concerns and were confident these would be acted on.
  • Leaders ensured there were enough staff in place with the required skills, qualifications and experience, and made sure staff had access to relevant training and appraisals to maintain a high quality of care.

Inspectors found in community end of life care:

  • People and their families told inspectors they received exceptional care and support. Staff delivered timely care to help manage symptoms and keep people as comfortable as possible.
  • Managers had the skills and capabilities to effectively lead the service and ensured there was a clear referral process in place.
  • Since the previous inspection, the trust employed additional consultants who worked closely with other trusts to provide 24-hour consultant support.

Inspectors found in services for children and young people:

  • Staff and leaders used feedback and concerns as opportunities to learn and improve the service, improving people’s experiences.
  • Staff worked closely with other departments to ensure children only needed to tell their story once as they moved between services.
  • The service had enough staff in place, but leaders needed to use bank and agency staff due to high sickness rates.

The view the reports visit the CQC’s website pages for Warwick Hospital and South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust.