Christie rated ‘Outstanding’ by watchdog
‘LEADER IN CANCER CARE’ FIRST HOSPITAL OF ITS KIND IN COUNTRY RATED TOP TWICE
THE Christie has been rated as Outstanding again by the health watchdog – making it the first specialist hospital in the country to receive the top rating twice.
A report published by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) described the Withington hospital as a ‘leader in cancer care,’ praising its work to develop new treatments and go the extra mile for patients.
Inspectors visited The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in July this year and rated it Outstanding overall, as well as in four out of five key inspection areas - ‘effective,’ ‘caring,’ ‘responsive’ and ‘well-led.’
It was rated as Good for safety.
The positive culture within the trust which treats more than 40,000 patients a year – was also singled out by the watchdog, as well as its ‘passion for high quality care and innovative practice.’
Roger Spencer, chief executive of The Christie, said: “We are very proud to be the first specialist hospital to be rated as Outstanding by the CQC for the second time.
“The rating is the highest we could have been given and it is testament to the dedicated, expert staff in every Christie department and site who work tirelessly to give the very best care and treatment to our cancer patients.
“Those patients are at the heart of everything we do. “Notwithstanding these fantastic results, it is the culture of The Christie to pursue relentlessly innovations that deliver even better outcomes for our patients.” The Christie was previously given the Outstanding rating following an inspection in May, 2016. The CQC’s chief inspector of hospitals, Prof Ted Baker, said: “We reported in 2016 that The Christie was of exceptional quality and a leader in its field, helping to shape the future of cancer care. “This passion for high quality care and innovative practice has continued, and we have found them to be Outstanding for a second time. “Our inspectors again heard and saw great examples of patient care which were delivered by exceptionally caring staff. “People told us that they felt like partners in their care planning and staff were extremely responsive to their changing needs. “When we inspected whether the trust was wellled, we found that the leadership was able to demonstrate that they had expertise and were committed to and capable of delivering high quality sustainable care. “There was a clear focus on constructive engagement throughout the trust, inviting challenge to drive improvements in the service. “This led to high levels of satisfaction by patients, staff, and stakeholders. “A second ‘Outstanding’ rating is a well-deserved achievement. Everyone at the trust should be very proud.” Prof Ted Baker