Archived: Healthcare at Home Limited (Plymouth)

One patient said 'because it is one to one care you get to know the nurses really well. I feel in good hands.' Another patient said 'It's lovely having a face I know, having a nurse who knows their job very well and who does not have any distractions.

When talking about the service, patients used descriptions including extremely good, wonderful and professional. One patient said 'I have been receiving a service from Healthcare at Home for four years and have found the service exceptional.'

Patients also told us they appreciate the punctuality of the staff. One patient said 'The nurses always arrive on time and announce their arrival the afternoon before their visit. They never appear rushed.' Another patient said 'It has only been once in the last year they were delayed, but they phoned and explained what was going on.'

Patients said they had felt involved in their care. One patient said 'My treatment takes about two hours. When they have set up my infusion they sit and talk to me. They have a questionnaire they fill in with my symptoms.' Another patient said 'It's very relaxed.'

All six patients we spoke with commented on the skills, knowledge and professionalism of the staff. One patient said 'The nurse is very observant. She notices things and reports them straight away to the hospital. Another patient said 'When I had a problem in the past, the nurses followed it up with my GP and hospital consultant.' Another patient added 'My treatment is particularly painful and we had a problem once but the nurse phoned the oncologist immediately and it was sorted out within 10 minutes. I was very impressed.'

We were told that staff washed their hands before providing care and wore gloves and aprons. One patient said 'They have a routine, they go and wash and put their kit on. It is very good.'

Patients had appreciated being cared for by skilled knowledgeable staff. One patient said 'They are so experienced, they know all the side effects of the medication and are knowledgeable about their subject.'

Nobody we spoke with had been contacted by the organisation to find whether they were receiving a good service, but all said the nurses asked regularly whether they were happy with their care. One patient said 'I'm asked by my oncologist if everything is going well.' Whilst another patient said; 'When I started treatment the nurses would follow up a few days later to check I was feeling OK.'

None of the six patients we spoke with said they had ever needed to make a complaint about their service or care. All of the patients we spoke with told us about a 'list of staff' they could contact if they were not happy.