CQC rate KMPT as Good overall with Outstanding for caring once again
Date added: 22 February 2019
Services provided by Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust (KMPT) have been rated as Good overall with Outstanding for caring once again following the latest Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection at the end of 2018.
Chief Executive Helen Greatorex said: “I am delighted that the Commission found so many areas of improvement across so many of our services. We are delighted at some of the themes they highlighted. In the Commission's feedback, they told us that they found staff, at all levels, from a wide range of disciplines, reported feeling proud of the care and treatment they provided to patients.
“Our staff are absolutely committed to delivering the best possible quality of care at all times and the Commission’s report reflects that attention to the detail of patient care.”
CQC carried out a Well-led inspection during November 2018 but also made a series of unannounced visits earlier in the year to wards and services. During this inspection, the Commission looked at community mental health services for adults of working age and older adults, acute inpatient and psychiatric intensive care wards, forensic inpatient wards and crisis and home treatment teams and health based places of safety.
Helen continued: “Inspectors have told us that they saw highly motivated staff who are inspired to improve patient care in every way possible. They also told us that, without exception, every single member of staff told us of how much the culture of the organisation had changed since the last inspection in 2017. We know that happy staff deliver high quality care, and KMPT is working to ensure that we are attracting talented staff, as well as retaining our existing workforce.
“One of our key priorities, since I joined in June 2016, has been to stop patients having to be sent out of area for admission to general acute beds. When we started our work on this, we had seventy-six patients in private beds up and down the country. The experience for patients and their families was awful, and it was costing the NHS over £1.3m per month. Within six months of starting the project, we had recalled all our patients and created capacity to look after them locally. We have sustained that position since December 2018 and the Commission recognised this work in their report.”
The Commission also noted that they found a strong culture of respect, in which staff demonstrated their ‘patients first’ ethos. Staff adopted a person-centred approach to care delivery and had worked to promote equality and diversity to patients. Patients spoke very positively about the way staff treated them and the Commission observed caring, respectful and supportive interactions between staff and patients.
Helen continued: “There is of course always still work to do and we will continue to focus on continuously improving the quality of care we provide.
“We have already started an ambitious change programme focusing on areas we can improve. Some of our teams are working on pilots in both community and acute areas, and when we have the results available we’ll share them with everyone to determine the right way forward.
“Our utmost priority is to ensure we are delivering the right care, at the right time, in the right place. Brilliant care through brilliant people.”
Click here to go to the CQC website.
