A GOVERNMENT watchdog has given a positive rating to a children’s unit at a North-East hospice following an unannounced inspection.

Inspectors from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) gave the Stockton-based unit at Butterwick Hospice Care an overall rating of “good”.

Edward Gorringe, who was recently appointed as Chief Executive at the hospice, praised staff in describing the rating as a “brilliant result”.

He said: “It is wonderful to start my journey with Butterwick Hospice Care seeing the results of the huge commitment that the whole of the team have put in. As a local charity with very limited resources to achieve this rating is tremendous and I am delighted that the dedication of the team has been recognised.” 

The latest inspection result shows a significant improvement on previous ratings which followed a turbulent period, leading to fundraising and resource challenges.

Despite ongoing pressures on the whole charity sector – due to the pandemic and now the cost-of-living crisis – Mr Gorringe says everyone at the hospice is “delighted” by the new rating as the charity looks forward to a “positive future built on proud traditions”.

The report complimented the service on several key areas, stating:

“Staff had training in key skills, understood how to protect patients from abuse, and managed safety well. The service controlled infection risk well. Staff assessed risks to patients, acted on them and kept good care records. They managed medicines well.

“Staff provided good care and treatment, gave patients enough to eat and drink, and gave them pain relief when they needed it. Managers monitored the effectiveness of the service and measured patient outcomes. Staff worked well together for the benefit of patients, supported them to make decisions about their care, and had access to good information.

“Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, took account of their individual needs, and helped them understand their conditions. They provided emotional support to patients, families and carers. Staff felt respected, supported and valued. They were focused on the needs of patients receiving care. Staff were clear about their roles and accountabilities. The service engaged well with patients and all staff were committed to improving services continually.

“Leaders had made significant improvements since our last inspection which included oversight of clinical and service risks. Managers had good awareness of the challenges the service faced and were implementing key changes to address previously imposed restrictions.”

Allana Massingham, Director of Care, added: “This result is a recognition of all the commitment and passion we have put in to ensuring we meet the highest standards set out by CQC for the care of our precious patients. A huge thank you to everyone who helped make this happen”.  

Operating for over 25 years, the children’s unit serves a wide geographical area of Teesside, Durham Dales and North Yorkshire, and provides palliative and end of life care to babies, children and young adults with a wide range of complex life limiting conditions.

The Care Quality Commission is an executive non-departmental public body of the Department of Health and Social Care of the United Kingdom. It was established in 2009 to regulate and inspect health and social care services in England.