National healthcare watchdog praises Shepton Mallet NHS Treatment Centre

COLCHESTER, U.K. - March 9, 2015 - PRLog -- The report, among the first to be carried out on an independent provider to the NHS under the new inspection system, also praised the centre’s leadership and its willingness to engage with patients and act on their feedback.

The CQC’s deputy chief inspector of hospitals for the south, Professor Edward Baker, said: “People deserve to receive treatment and care which is safe, effective, caring, responsive to their needs and well led.

“When we inspected Shepton Mallet NHS Treatment Centre, we saw that its team were caring and compassionate in their dealings with patients, and patients praised the treatment and care that they received. There was a clear vision and strategy but also a leadership team who empowered and supported colleagues to take control. Patients informed my team of the exemplary services and I know my team look forward to returning to the service at a later date.”

Responding to the report, Care UK’s hospital director at Shepton Mallet NHS Treatment Centre, Chester Barnes, said: “We are delighted with the inspectors’ review of the centre. We strive to offer the very highest levels of care in a warm and friendly atmosphere and I think that is reflected in this very positive report.”

The report, which follows a visit to the centre in December 2014, says that patients were positive about their experiences in the hospital. Inspectors also noted that the team was supportive and focused on providing caring and effective treatment to patients.

The CQC found the service highly responsive and encouraging of an individual approach to patient needs at all stages of the care journey. They reported that this included the hospital chef who visits patients on the ward each day to ensure that their dietary choices are being met.

Chester said: “The inspectors also interviewed members of the team as well as patients and it is very rewarding to see they identified our people as feeling empowered to take a lead and that this was supported by senior managers. As the hospital director it is also very gratifying to hear that the team felt valued and respected.”

The inspection also revealed that waiting times and the average length of stay in the hospital were robustly and regularly monitored and found to be lower than the NHS national average.

The centre, run by Care UK, provides NHS surgical and outpatient services to patients across Somerset and North Dorset. Surgical specialities include general surgery, orthopaedics, endoscopy, gynaecology, urology, ear, nose and throat and ophthalmology.