Birmingham St Mary's Hospice

Our rating of this location improved. We rated it as outstanding because:

• Staff provided outstanding care and treatment, gave patients enough to eat and drink, and gave them pain relief when they needed it.
• Staff prioritised working together as a team for the benefit of patients. Staff supported patients to help them to make decisions about their care, and patients had access to good information.
• Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, took account of their individual needs, and helped them understand their conditions. They provided emotional support to patients, families and carers.
• Key services were available 7 days a week.
• 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. The service managed infection risks well. Staff assessed risks to patients, acted on them and kept good care records. They managed medicines well. The service managed safety incidents well and learned lessons from them.
• Managers monitored the effectiveness of the service and made sure staff were competent. Staff worked well together for the benefit of patients, supported them to make decisions about their care, and had access to good information.
• 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.
• Leaders ran services well using reliable information systems and supported staff to develop their skills. Staff understood the service’s vision and values, and how to apply them in their work. Staff felt respected, supported and valued. They were focused on the needs of patients receiving care. Staff were clear about their roles and accountabilities. The service engaged well with patients and the community to plan and manage services and all staff were committed to improving services continually.

However:

• Staff demonstrated a lack of knowledge and understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, and the procedures and documentation used by the hospice to assess a patient’s capacity.