Queen Mary’s Hospital, Community inpatient services

This area is not currently being rated as it is part of a pilot phase within CQC.

We found that the service provided by the inpatient community wards was generally safe. However, we found that there was a poor general understanding and implementation of the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. We found that staff had access to some training and support. Services had systems to learn from incidents, accidents and complaints at a local level. However, there were some significant gaps in recording the intentional rounding activity which could affect the safety of patients on Mary Seacole Ward, specifically regarding pressure ulcer management.

We saw that the service was effective as there were systems in place such as incident reporting and complaints monitoring which ensured that lessons were learnt. We saw that tools to monitor the services provided and the impact of these for patients. There were designed in line with best practice guidance.

Patients told us that they felt respected and well cared for. We observed care which ensured that patients were treated with dignity. Most family members we spoke with told us that they were happy with the care provided at Queen Mary’s Hospital.

We found that multidisciplinary teams worked effectively together and were able to ensure that people received care and treatment which was appropriate to facilitate their rehabilitation. We found that a specific acute admissions avoidance care pathway, which allowed GPs to refer directly to Mary Seacole Ward, was a useful community resource which improved the wellbeing of people who used the service.

The local leadership at Queen Mary’s Hospital was responsive to the needs of staff and patients on the inpatient wards. We found that the leadership had an understanding of the challenges faced at the hospital and there was a plan and vision to move the services forward. However, some staff felt there was a detachment from the acute trust services based at St George’s Hospital.