Updated 2 September 2024
Date of assessment 22 August to 2 September 2024. Hospice of the Good Shepherd provides specialist palliative care and support to patients, their carers and families who are living with cancer and other life limiting illnesses. There is a 10 bedded inpatient unit which consisted of individual rooms and a 4 bedded ward. The hospice offers a range of medical treatment, nursing care, and complementary therapies to treat symptoms, enhance quality of life and meet patients’ holistic needs through providing a personalised care and support plan. We conducted this assessment due to receiving information of concern. We assessed a small number of quality statements from the safe, effective, responsive and well-led key questions and found areas of concern. The scores for these areas have been combined with scores based on the key question ratings from the last inspection. We found there was not always enough skilled and experienced medical staff working at the service. The service did involve people and provide continuity of care and routinely monitored peoples' care and treatment. We reviewed the responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and governance systems to manage and deliver good quality, sustainable care, treatment and support. During the assessment period, we spoke with a range of staff, including nurses and doctors, support staff, a trustee and senior leaders. We reviewed patient and staff feedback and looked at a sample of patient care records and staff recruitment files, as well as other data provided by the hospice. On 23 August 2024 we imposed conditions on the providers registration to review all new admissions to the inpatient unit and to ensure there was enough medical staff available to provide appropriate care and treatment to patients.