Nuffield Health Chichester Hospital is rated ‘outstanding’ by inspectors

The hospital in Broyle Road, which is run by charitable organisation Nuffield Health, offers a range of elective surgery for adults only, both for private and NHS funded patients.

It also provides outpatient services covering a range of specialities, as well as X-rays and ultrasound diagnostic testing. Physiotherapy is offered to patients recovering from surgery however, this service was not inspected during the recent visit.

Following the inspection, the overall rating for the hospital went from good to outstanding. Caring and well-led also went from good to outstanding, safe went up from requires improvement to good, effective and responsive remain as good.

Surgery moved up from good to outstanding overall and it was also rated outstanding for being well-led and caring, and good for being safe, effective and responsive.

Diagnostic imaging remained as good overall, and it was rated good for being safe, caring, responsive and well-led. Effective was inspected but not rated.

Outpatients remained as good overall and it was rated good for being safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.

Amanda Williams, CQC’s head of hospital inspection, said: “I am delighted to say that Nuffield Health Chichester Hospital has been awarded CQC’s highest rating of outstanding overall after our recent inspection, and it also received an overall rating of outstanding for surgical services.

“Leaders and staff are thoroughly deserving of such excellent ratings and should be congratulated. As a charity, the service is focused on patient care over profit and its values reflect this. There was an open culture throughout the hospital, and it was clear that communication was working well at all levels.

“Attendance at team meetings was good; staff told us they would sometimes come in on their days off to attend meetings, as they found them so useful.

“Staff respected people’s personal, cultural, social and religious needs. Feedback from patients and relatives was continually positive about the way staff treated them, with people telling us that nothing was too much trouble for the nurses, and that staff were kind and recognised when they were anxious. Staff also supported patients emotionally and even telephoned some patients 48 hours after their discharge to check on their recovery.

“The hospital performed consistently well against targets and had good results compared with other Nuffield locations; if an audit result was below target, the team acted swiftly to understand why and make improvements. Staff were encouraged to raise concerns and report incidents and near misses.

“These were reviewed and feedback was shared with all staff so improvements could be made. Learning from serious incidents was shared across all Nuffield Health Hospitals.

“Although we pointed out one or two areas where some further improvements could be made, overall, the service is incredibly well run and should be upheld as a shining example of best practice which others can, and should, learn from. Well done to everyone involved.”

Inspectors found the following during this inspection:

*There was compassionate inclusive and effective leadership at all levels. Leaders understood and managed the priorities and issues the service faced. They were highly visible and approachable in the service for patients and staff. Leaders encouraged innovation and all staff were committed to improving services.

*The service planned care to meet the needs of local people, took account of patients’ individual needs, and made it easy for people to give feedback. People could access the service when they needed it and did not have to wait too long for treatment.

*The service had enough staff to care for patients and keep them safe. Staff had training in key skills, understood how to protect patients from abuse, and managed safety well.

*Staff were clear about their roles and accountabilities. The service engaged well with patients and the community to plan and manage services.

*Staff provided good care and treatment, gave patients enough to eat and drink, and gave them pain relief when needed. Managers monitored the effectiveness of the service and made sure staff were competent.

*Staff worked well together for the benefit of patients, advised them on how to lead healthier lives, supported them to make decisions about their care, and had access to good information.

*Staff understood the service’s vision and values, and how to apply them in their work. Staff universally felt respected, supported and valued. They were highly focused on the needs of patients receiving care.

*Feedback from patients and their relatives was very positive about the way staff treated them. Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, took account of their individual needs, and helped them understand their conditions. Staff went above and beyond to provide exceptional emotional support to patients, families and carers to minimise their distress.

*Specialist nurses supported patients with mental health problems, learning disabilities and dementia. Patients with dementia were given blue pillows and blankets to discreetly identify they had additional needs.

*The service controlled infection risk well. Staff assessed risks to patients, acted on them and kept good care records. It also managed medicines well and safety incidents well and learned lessons from them. Staff collected safety information and used it to improve the service.

*The service promoted collaborative working with the NHS. Consultants held ‘lunch and learn’ events for local GPs and worked with the local hospital to help reduce waiting times for surgery caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

John Bruell, hospital director at Nuffield Health Chichester Hospital said he was delighted ‘to receive this assessment of the quality of care we provide to our patients’.

He said: “We recognise the responsibility we have within the local community to deliver the best possible treatment and to respond to the individual needs of all our patients. The pandemic continues to place restrictions and delays into healthcare and we work very hard every day to facilitate and improve access for people to high quality care.

“This assessment from the CQC is an opportunity to acknowledge the exceptional dedication, commitment and skills of our teams throughout the hospital, from our nurses, clinicians and physiotherapists to our support staff, housekeepers, medical secretaries, porters and catering staff.

“I am extremely proud of everyone for their exceptional care for our patients and for overcoming the additional challenges of the pandemic,” he adds.

Ben Davies, Nuffield Health’s head of clinical quality and professional practice, added: “I’m delighted that Nuffield Health Chichester Hospital has been rated as ‘Outstanding’ by the CQC. The hospital team at Chichester are committed towards clinical excellence, striving to ensure that all patients receive an outstanding experience of care. Nuffield Health’s Chichester Hospital’s rating is reflective of the strength of that commitment and the quality of services that the team provide to the local community.