Updated 4 March 2024
Date of assessment: 20 March 2024. Marie Curie Hospice and Community Services North West and Cumbria Region is based in Liverpool and provides specialist palliative care and support for adults with a terminal illness. The hospice service is available to all, free of charge. The hospice provides an in-patient service for a maximum of 13 people, but was operating at 6 beds at the time of the assessment. It also provides day services and out-patient clinics. It provides social and emotional support in people's own homes but this does not include nursing or personal care. There were 6 inpatients at the service at the time of our assessment. We conducted this assessment due to medicine management concerns. We assessed 6 quality statements across safe, effective, responsive, and well-led key questions and have combined the scores for these areas with scores from the last inspection. At this assessment, we found staff treated patients and relatives with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, and took account of their individual needs. There was a strong, visible person-centred culture that was promoted by staff. Patients could access the specialist palliative care service when they needed it. Leaders acknowledged there were challenges resulting from a shortage of nursing staff within the service and there was a process of ongoing recruitment. As a result of sickness levels and vacancies, the service had voluntarily reduced operational bed capacity in the inpatient unit. Leaders operated effective governance processes, throughout the service and with partner organisations. Staff at all levels were clear about their roles and accountabilities.