Archived: Dorking Community Hospital

Updated 30 June 2017

Central Surrey Health Limited is the registered provider for Dorking Community Hospital. The hospital provides a community inpatient service on Ranmore ward which has 22 beds. On the day of inspection, an additional four beds had been opened in response to increased demand and 26 beds were in use. The services provided include intermediate care, palliative care and rehabilitation. Patients are admitted to community inpatient services from acute hospital or from their own home. At Dorking Community Hospital medical cover is provided by a local General Practitioner Practice.

Central Surrey Health has been established as a social enterprise and the staff working for this organisation are co-owners and will be referred to as such throughout the report.

Updated 30 June 2017

Overall rating for this core service

Overall, this core service was rated as good. We found the Dorking Community Hospital was good for safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led.

We inspected the regulated activities of diagnostic and screening procedures and treatment of diseases, disorders and injuries.

The provider, Central Surrey Health has been established as a social enterprise and the staff working for this organisation are co-owners and are referred to as such throughout the report.

During our inspection we spoke with nine patients who were using the service and two of their relatives. We spoke with 21 co-owners including nurses, doctors, and therapy and administrative staff.

Our findings were as follows

• Systems to report incidents were used effectively and, when indicated, practice was changed.

• Generally, patients received their medicines safely and there was good governance of medicines although some aspects of medicines management needed improvement.

• Facilities were well maintained and there were good infection prevention and control practices which staff understood.

• There were systems for assessing and mitigating risks and initiatives were taken to keep patients safe within the hospital.

• Care was provided in line with national best practice guidance. A rolling programme of local audits ensured standards of care were maintained. Patient outcomes were monitored.

• There was a continual focus on professional development and clinical competence of co-owners and their performance was appraised.

• There was good multidisciplinary working with access to specialist services when required. The team worked cohesively together.

• Patients were very positive about their experience. They were treated with kindness, respect and dignity and were included in decisions relating to their care and treatment.

• Services were planned and delivered to meet individual needs and which ensured a focus on rehabilitation in an environment that was appropriate.

• There was a shared vision and philosophy of care in the service which supported a multi-disciplinary approach with strong co-ownership engagement. Senior leaders were visible and co-owners were positive about the leadership structure.

However we also found:

• The ward environment could be made more dementia friendly.

• The temperature of rooms where medicines were stored were not monitored.