10 and 11 September 2014
During a routine inspection
South Bristol Community Hospital was situated in the Hengrove area of Bristol to the south of the city centre. It provided acute services to a population of approximately 300,000 in central and south Bristol.
We carried out this comprehensive inspection as part of our in-depth inspection programme. The trust moved up two bands in our ‘intelligent monitoring’ system from a low risk to a medium risk between March 2014 and July 2014. We inspected South Bristol Community Hospital on 10 and 11 September 2014.
South Bristol Community Hospital provided day surgery, outpatient clinics and a rehabilitation service where people were able to stay as inpatients. The hospital also provided a community dental service. There was an urgent care centre for minor illnesses and injuries on the site; however, this was managed by another NHS trust.
Overall, this hospital was rated as good and provided a safe, effective and caring service to patients. The hospital was responsive to patients’ needs and was well led.
Our key findings were as follows:
- We found that services were safe.
- There was good awareness among staff of how to report incidents and there was evidence of feedback and learning being disseminated.
- Actions as a result of serious incidents and never events occurring within the trust were implemented in the hospital. There was heightened awareness of and focus on the use of the World Health Organization surgical safety checklist within operating theatres.
- The hospital was clean and staff observed infection control procedures throughout the hospital.
- There were sufficient nursing and medical staff to meet patients’ needs in all areas of the hospital.
- National best practice and clinical management guidelines were reviewed and incorporated into local guidance to ensure that patients’ needs were met. Guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) was specialty-based within each department. We saw copies of the relevant guidance for staff to access on the wards and in departments.
- Although the trust collated data on patient outcomes, this was not in sufficient depth to reflect the outcomes for patients at South Bristol Community Hospital.
- Patients received appropriate pain relief and nutrition and hydration to meet their needs.
- Staff throughout the hospital were kind and seen to provide compassionate care.
- Patients had access to outpatient services within times set by national guidelines. Patients were kept informed of waiting times in outpatient departments. There were systems in place for patients to leave the department and return later if their appointment was delayed.
- There was a high bed occupancy rate within the hospital, and this had an effect on the ability of the hospital to respond to the demand for inpatient beds. This meant that patients could not be transferred from the Bristol Royal Infirmary in a timely manner to South Bristol Community Hospital to continue their rehabilitation following a stoke.
- The operating theatres within the hospital were being used for only a quarter of the available time and the outpatient department was used for only approximately 55% of the available sessions.
- There were governance systems in place to monitor risks and the quality of the service.
- We observed good local leadership on the wards and in departments, with senior nurses demonstrating a commitment to patient safety and the management of risk. Staff reported feeling supported by managers.
We saw several areas of outstanding practice. These included the following:
- Patients waiting for outpatient appointments were given a bleep if their appointment was delayed. This meant that they could be contacted effectively by staff if they wished to leave the department and so were not restricted to staying in one place for long periods of time.
- Frail, elderly patients waiting for hospital transport home were given pressure-relieving cushions to sit on and provided with food and drink.
However, there were also areas where the trust needs to make improvements.
The trust should:
- Collate information and data about patient outcomes so that outcomes for patients at South Bristol Community Hospital can be reviewed
- Utilise more effectively the operating theatres and outpatient departments in order to support other areas of the trust.
Professor Sir Mike Richards
Chief Inspector of Hospitals