Published on: 7 February 2025
CQC reports that “Across all the services we visited, we found staff treated people with kindness and made them feel at ease. People couldn’t fault the care being provided to them… Staff should be really proud of this.”
The services inspected form the core of the patient care the hospital provides to its community – medical care (including stroke, acute care, general medical care, diabetes, respiratory, frailty service and gastroenterology) critical care, diagnostic services and outpatient services.
The ‘Good’ rating mirrors the ratings awarded by the CQC to the Trust’s urgent and emergency care and maternity services in 2023.
Inspectors visiting services in the medicine directorate identified “…a culture of kindness and respect between the staff. Many staff told us the ward they worked on and the hospital itself was like a family. Staff felt supported by their colleagues as well as managers”
Reflecting the efforts the Trust makes in supporting staff, the CQC team noted: “Managers ensured staff well-being was important within their culture. Staff had regular breaks and there were appropriate rest areas. There was a well-being team who did walkarounds and supported the teams. They also did walkarounds at night to ensure the night staff had a voice and felt supported. Matrons also did night walkabouts to ensure they were visible for night staff. We observed good teamworking throughout all the wards we visited.”
Following the time the CQC spent in the critical care service, inspectors reported: “Safety was a priority for everyone and leaders embedded a culture of openness. Staff worked in harmony and patients were at the centre of their care. Patients were treated with kindness, empathy and compassion. Patients had their best possible outcomes.”
Further praise was earned by the team providing diagnostic services at George Eliot Hospital with the CQC team feeding back that “Staff were discreet and responsive when caring for patients. Staff took time to interact with patients and those close to them in a respectful and considerate way. All of the care we saw was kind, compassionate and promoted patients’ dignity. Staff provided emotional support to patients and their carers to minimise their distress.”
The CQC found that “Patients and the communities the service served was at the centre of how care was planned and delivered. Patients had access to the care and treatment they required and accessed it in ways which met their personal circumstances. There was an inclusive and positive culture which was also focused on continuous learning and improvement.”
Identifying further good examples of care, the CQC also reported that “Staff told us they were actively trying to engage hard to reach communities to improve their access healthcare and specifically to cancer and diabetes screening. In the past 12 months they had made connections with over 100 communities including people from itinerant communities and a range of faith and cultural groups. They tried to engage with each group at least bi-monthly and held health education sessions, provided screening and advice, and worked with the groups to uncover their reluctance to engaging with local primary and secondary health services.”
Welcoming the report, George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust’s Managing Director Dr Catherine Free said: “This report confirms what we have known for some time – that our staff and this hospital put patient care at the heart of everything we do. Our fantastic teams work under real pressure and to see the level of care they provide to our local community is truly amazing. I read this report with deep pride and gratitude towards my colleagues. This recognition by the CQC shows that we are a great hospital and I look forward to supporting colleagues to build on this success and continue to excel at patient care.”
George Eliot Hospital’s Chief Executive, Glen Burley said: “Since joining the Foundation Group of Trusts in 2018, George Eliot Hospital has taken great strides to become an established provider of high-quality services for the communities of Nuneaton, North Warwickshire, North Coventry and South-West Leicestershire. The CQC report was a pleasure to read and provides fitting recognition of the efforts of leaders, staff and volunteers at George Eliot Hospital. The ‘Good’ status of our services is truly deserved and will motivate the team to strive for further improvements.“
Read the full report on the CQC website