The Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability receives unannounced inspection from regulator

September 2018

In March 2017, the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability (RHN) was delighted to receive a rating of ‘Good’ from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) following their comprehensive inspection.

In July 2018, as part of the new style CQC inspection process, an unannounced inspection focusing on long-term care took place. As the inspection was targeted on one area of the hospital no new overall rating was issued.

The CQC inspectors highlighted that all of their findings from the full inspection in 2017 had been completed. This included ensuring all staff receive annual appraisals, the process around how complaints are handled and staff training on the decision making ability for patients and residents with brain injury.

The key findings from this inspection noted improved training on the risks to patients and residents when eating, the management of pressure ulcers, infection control and hand hygiene across all wards. With regards to overall patient safety, the inspectors found that 98.6% of patients in long-term care receive harm-free care. This is higher than the national average and has slightly improved since the last inspection.

Chief Executive Paul Allen said:

“We are absolutely delighted all of our hard work has been recognized by the CQC. To achieve a rating of ‘Good’ demonstrates how dedicated, professional and caring our staff are across all areas.

“Following this subsequent unannounced inspection by the CQC, I am happy to report that work has already begun in areas the inspectors highlighted including improving our documentation and record keeping, patient and resident decision making ability and a continued focus on hand hygiene.

“Thank you to all of our staff and volunteers for their consistent hard work, compassion and professionalism. We will continue to do everything that we can to ensure the care of our patients, residents and their families is at the very heart of everything we do.”

Find the full report on the CQC’s website.