Nottingham City Hospital

On this page

• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

We rated caring as good. We assessed 5 quality statements . People were treated with kindness, empathy and compassion. Their privacy and dignity were respected. People were able to make their own decisions and be understood. Their information was kept confidential. People were able to make their own decisions when this met evidence-based practice.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

Women and birthing people we spoke with said staff treated them well and with kindness, compassion, and dignity.

One woman told us, “The staff are thoughtful and caring, I feel they listen to me and communicate appropriately and in a way I can understand.”

Women told us that pain relief was also offered without delay when needed.

Staff we spoke with were discreet and responsive when caring for women. Staff told us they understood the emotional and social impact that a person’s care, treatment, or condition had on their wellbeing and on those close to them. Staff understood and respected the personal, cultural, social, and religious beliefs of people and how they may relate to care. Staff we spoke with presented as non-judgemental and open towards all people.

There was mostly positive feedback from partners. Information from Healthwatch reported good care and treatment. In surveys, people reported staff being efficient but also taking time to listen and understand.

We observed women and birthing people being informed of care that was being provided and what to expect next. For example, we saw a person being guided through the triage process and having their medical observations explained to them. We observed another person treated with kindness, compassion, and dignity. One person said, "I feel that staff know and understand my needs including my preferences and wishes."

Women and birthing people said staff treated them well and supported them to ensure treatment met their individual needs and preferences.

Staff were discreet and responsive when caring for women. Staff took time to interact with people and those close to them in a respectful and considerate way.

We observed women and birthing people being cared for with respect and given time to make informed choices about their care.

Staff followed policy to keep care and treatment confidential. We observed staff handovers, which were held away from where women, birthing people or their families could hear discussions.

Women and birthing people told us that they were involved in decisions around their care. They felt supported to follow their birth plans.

Staff we spoke with told us that there had been increased cultural awareness training for midwives to encourage difficult conversations, there were plans to increase this training. They told us that there was lots of work engaging with different groups within the community and that they were considering expanding interpreting services. We were told about the introduction of bespoke clinics for Urdu speaking people and people from African Caribbean communities.

Leaders we spoke with told us that since the previous inspection they felt that improvements had been made in work completed around equality and diversity. For example, there were now postnatal videos produced in Arabic.

Processes were regularly being updated and added to improve the individualised care for women and birthing people in the service. However, there was still work to be done to improve and embed these initiatives. Particularly in relation to the addition of an effective birth planning service.

All women and birthing people that we spoke to told us that they felt listened to and understood during their care. We were told that midwives spent as much time as needed with them and that there were occasions where midwives took care of the babies to allow parents to rest.

Staff we spoke with told us they felt that women were given choices and that their decisions were followed. However, occasionally for safety reasons if plans needed to change, they were agreed where possible.

We observed 2 caesarean section births, in both cases the parents felt supported and informed throughout the procedure.

Staff told us that leaders did not always promote the wellbeing of staff and enable them to always deliver person centred care. One staff member told us that on some occasions other staff and leaders were disrespectful and rude.

However, leaders spoke about valuing staff and working towards an improved culture.

The service demonstrated that it cared and promoted the wellbeing of staff and supported them. Following negative media attention, leaders advised staff of channels they could use to talk if they felt like they needed to. This included the use of professional midwife advocates.

The trust provided advice and help in relation to financial advice, mental health advice, counselling, traumatic incident support, spiritual support, legal advice, management support, crisis support, PMA support, SI support and understanding menopause.

The service also had an employee assistance programme which could assist with personal or professional problems which could be impacting on staff general health and wellbeing.