Bispham's Trinity Hospice hailed in latest Care Quality Commission report

Trinity Hospice in Bispham, which cares for children and adults with serious illnesses, has been rated outstanding by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Clinical director Julie Huttley has spoken of her joy at the rating, which she said proves just how caring her staff members are.

She said: “As matron and clinical director I am extremely proud of all the Trinity staff and the contribution they have made to patient care.

“This rating reflects the high quality professional care and support that all the team gives to patients and families not just at the hospice, but also at the hospital and in patients’ own homes.”

The CQC visited the Low Moor Road hospice at short notice in July before publishing its findings last week, and said in its report: “The service was exceptionally caring.

“Without exception, people and their relatives spoke extremely highly of staff and their experiences of care. We found staff were passionate about providing a nondiscriminatory service.

“We toured the service and found it was an exceptionally tranquil, warm, happy, and welcoming atmosphere throughout.”

Inspectors also told of the praise issued by patients and their families. One said the hospice is ‘heaven’, while another said: “The care is phenomenal. There is nothing lacking in care and support.”

Staff’s innovation was also hailed, with managed described as ‘clearly enthusiastic’ about helping people.

Two memory trees have been installed, one for adults and one for children, which feature leaves with names of past patients on to commemorate and remember them.

A book of condolence is always kept with photographs and comments from staff, relatives, and friends about their loved ones.

“We observed staff were patient, courteous, friendly, and highly skilled at quickly developing strong bonds with individuals who accessed the hospice,” the report added.

“They expressed concern and care, without patronising individuals at Trinity, and responded to them with warmth and empathy.”

The CQC inspected five key areas; Safety, effectiveness, level of caring, responsiveness, and leadership, rating Trinity good for safety, effectiveness, and responsiveness, and outstanding for the remaining two, landing it a top overall score.

The CQC’s deputy chief inspector of adult and social care in the north, Debbie Westhead, said: “What really struck us about this service was how person-centred it was.

“Without exception, people and their relatives spoke extremely highly of staff and their experiences of care at Trinity.”