7 March 2012
During a routine inspection
Overall people said they were happy with the care and treatment they received. Most people were fully aware of the reasons for their admission and the aim of their treatment.
People were complimentary about the nursing staff and felt them to be caring and supportive. People said that the staff treated them with respect and that their privacy and independence was promoted. We observed that staff spoke with people in a respectful manner.
People were overwhelmingly positive about the quality of the food and said that they had a choice of meals and were given plenty to drink. Where concerns were raised the staff followed this up with the catering service. People who required special diets received this. People who had difficulties with eating and drinking were provided with the support they needed. Records were kept to monitor the amount of food and fluid people had.
People were having their health care needs assessed on admission. This included assessing people's needs in relation to nutrition, mobility, tissue viability and independent living skills. Where needed plans and risk assessments were in place aimed at improving people's health and welfare and keeping them safe. Goals for progress were identified and regularly reviewed. Where required additional support was provided by a range of therapists both from within the hospital and from the acute trust. We did identify that some additional training was needed to support staff in caring for people with dementia care and challenging behaviour.
The hospital had a range of systems in place to both gain the views of people using the service and to monitor the quality of the service.