A new hospital fit for the future
Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust is celebrating recognition from the Care Quality Commission (CQC), which has upgraded Wexham Park Hospital to an Outstanding overall rating, while confirming the trust’s overall rating remains Good.
The recent CQC inspections concentrated on emergency departments, urgent care and medical inpatient wards, all of which were found to be either good or outstanding.
Inspectors praised the compassion and kindness shown by colleagues, the strong culture of learning and safety, and leadership that empowers colleagues to innovate and improve care. They also recognised the positive impact of the improvement work across the Trust, including the Care Quality Programme, and Frimley Excellence, supporting staff to create a culture of continuous improvement to develop high quality services and clinical pathways.
Outstanding care at Wexham Park
As part of Wexham Park Hospital’s overall rating of Outstanding, inspectors praised the hospital for the way its staff consistently deliver care with kindness, dignity and respect, for listening to people’s needs and acting quickly and for creating a culture of learning and safety.
The inspection team also noted examples of care that went far beyond the expected, illustrating why Wexham Park has now joined the best-performing hospitals in the country.
The medical care services at Wexham were also upgraded to Outstanding, responding directly to patients’ needs with a consistent and compassionate approach, and the Urgent and Emergency Care services were rated as Good.
The whole hospital is rated Outstanding for caring and well-led and Good for safe, effective and responsive.
Frimley Park confirmed as Good overall
Frimley Park Hospital’s overall rating has been confirmed as Good. A previous inspection in 2018 had mistakenly shown the hospital as Outstanding due to an internal CQC error, but following the latest review, inspectors reaffirmed the hospital’s Good rating overall.
Inspectors highlighted the compassion and respect that staff treat patients with, the partnership working to keep urgent care patients safe and maintain continuity of care and the shared learning from any incidents.
Urgent and Emergency Care services were rated as Good and medical care services were rated as Outstanding, reflecting a very high standard of clinical practice across both.
The whole hospital is rated Outstanding for caring, responsive and well-led, Good for effective and Requires Improvement for safe.
Part of a bigger story
CQC ratings provide a very important snapshot of the care provided to our patients. They are an important part of a wider ongoing transformation of care across Frimley Health and partner health and care organisations as we change the provision of healthcare in line with the government’s three strategic shifts.
The recently opened £49m inpatient and diagnostic facility at Frimley Park and the £20m Clinical Diagnostic Centre at Upton Hospital in Slough, due to open in November, will provide additional capacity and support earlier diagnosis. Plans for a new £1.8bn Frimley Park Hospital are progressing well, and will provide a modern, sustainable, and digitally advanced facility to better meet the needs of patients today and tomorrow.
Innovation is also happening digitally. Building on the recent Electronic Patient Record implementation and patient app, the use of artificial intelligence in cataract care has already cut waiting times from ten weeks to two, winning national recognition. Our virtual wards continue to help people recover at home with round-the-clock digital support and partnership working with community and primary care colleagues is supporting speedier diagnosis, more timely interventions and care closer to home for many people across many clinical pathways.
Lance McCarthy, Chief Executive of Frimley Health NHS Foundation trust, said:
“I am delighted with the fantastic CQC reports across urgent care and medical services at both Wexham Park and Frimley Park hospitals. To achieve these ratings, and the overall outstanding rating for Wexham Park, at a time of significant pressures on our services, is a huge credit to the dedication, passion and compassion of all my colleagues.
This continues to give us a very strong base on which to work with our health and care partners locally to continue to reshape the future of healthcare, through a culture of partnership and integration, an increased focus on care being provided closer to people’s homes and on digital innovation.
I am very proud of the care we are providing and even prouder of the people who are delivering it every day.”
