Remarkable improvement recognised at Wexham Park Hospital

The Care Quality Commission has recognised what it describes as ‘the most impressive example of improvement that CQC has observed’ and rated Wexham Park Hospital as ‘Good’.

The CQC inspected the hospital in October 2015 and asked five key questions:

• Is it safe?
• Is it effective?
• Is it caring
• Is it responsive to people’s needs?
• Is it well-led?

Staff were able to demonstrate improvement across the board with six services rated as good and two, critical care and urgent and emergency services, achieved the highest possible rating of outstanding.

Inspectors recognised that in urgent and emergency services the clinical leadership had led to a marked improvement in care and efficiency within the A&E department.

The innovation of the critical care team and the robust leadership were two aspects leading to the outstanding score for the critical care team. Their exemplary practice was focused on meeting the individual needs of patients under exceptional circumstances.

Across the site inspectors recognised the culture shift where staff are proud to work at the hospital and delivered care in line with our vision and values. More student nurses continued their employment with the hospital when their training ended and staff are far more likely to recommend the hospital as a place to work, and as a place to receive care. Inspectors described staff as a ‘positive and ambitious’ workforce.

Chief Executive Sir Andrew Morris said: "It’s an amazing result and testament to the hard work of staff across Wexham Park who are really committed to making the hospital somewhere they could be proud to be part of, delivering the kind of care they would want their own family.

"We are pleased to be in a position where the CQC can give positive reassurance to the communities we serve that we deliver safe, caring and effective care.

"We know that there are still things to improve – and the CQC’s report has helped us focus on our plan for the next 12 months."

"Heatherwood Hospital in Ascot has already achieved a ‘Good’ rating and our ambition is to develop an ‘Outstanding’ Trust where all three main sites achieve the top possible rating."

The trust's other main hospital, Frimley Park in Surrey, was the first in the country to be rated 'Outstanding' by the CQC in September 2014.

You can read the full CQC report here.