Medical care services (including older people’s care) at Ashford and St Peter’s NHS Foundation Trust have been awarded a good rating by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in its latest report, published earlier this week on Wednesday 30 July. This recognition follows an extensive unannounced inspection in March 2024 which focused on assessing the service against a number of criteria including safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.
We were encouraged to read about the areas of good practice noted by inspectors. The report praised the safe quality of care and treatment and said that patients were positive about their experiences. It also found that safety was a priority amongst clinical teams and staff took concerns seriously. Inspectors noted that patients were supported to receive their prescribed medicines in a way which met their individual needs and that staff interacted kindly with people whilst conducting medicine rounds, and that timely access to pain relief was available. The report also says that patients and their relatives who spoke to inspectors were “overwhelmingly positive about the care and support they received.”
Louise Stead, Group Chief Executive at Ashford and St Peter’s and Royal Surrey Hospitals said; “I’m really pleased that the rating for medical care services (including older people’s care) at ASPH remains good. The team are incredibly hard working, compassionate, and kind and I’m glad the report has highlighted this. We know that there are always areas that can be improved, and colleagues have been working diligently since the inspection to ensure that we provide an outstanding experience for all patients.”
John Machin, Acting Chair at Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals said; “I’d like to thank everyone – staff, patients, and their families, who provided feedback as part of this inspection. It is great to see the positive comments about our incredible colleagues, and their dedication to our patients and I support the ongoing work that has been underway to implement improvements.”
Please note that the delay in publishing this report is due to technical and other issues related to changes within the CQC.
Ashford and St Peter’s NHS Foundation Trust sees around 559,000 outpatients a year, with 54,000 patients admitted for planned treatment/day cases. Around 121,000 patients attend the Emergency Department, and approximately 2,800 babies are delivered every year.
