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CQC: Manx Care staff 'show a genuine caring approach to patients'

Staff treated people with 'compassion and kindness'

The latest reports from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) have been published, alongside a programme overview report and an Action Plan from Manx Care.

The four final baseline reports looked at Acute and Community Services, the Manx Emergency Doctor Service (MEDS), the Manx Care Leadership and Governance ‘Well-led report’, and Integrated Mental Health services.

Whilst the CQC identified several system-wide recommendations and areas for improvement, it also emphasised that Manx Care staff 'treated people with compassion and kindness'.

During the assessments, several areas of good and notable practice identified.

These included:

Adult social care services:

Staff were described as knowing people and understanding their needs well. They were able to explain to the CQC inspectors 'how they supported people to maintain their privacy and dignity, be involved in their own care and to make day-to-day choices'.

The CQC found that people were protected from the risk of abuse, risks were assessed and there were support plans to manage these risks. Incidents and accidents were recorded and reviewed to reduce the risk of a recurrence. 

Dental services:

Clinicians were found to have assessed patients’ needs and delivered care and treatment in line with current legislation, standards and guidance, supported by clear clinical pathways and protocols. Staff gave patients clear information to help them make informed choices about their treatment. 

Patients confirmed that staff listened to them, did not rush them, and discussed options for treatment with them. Staff were clear about the importance of giving emotional support to patients when delivering care. 

Throughout the assessment, staff conveyed a good understanding of supporting more vulnerable members of society, such as patients with dementia, and adults and children with a learning disability. 

Mental health services:

Across all mental health services, staff treated people 'with compassion and kindness and they understood people’s individual needs'. They were found to actively involve people in decisions and care planning. 

Staff were said to have developed holistic, recovery-orientated care plans 'informed by a comprehensive assessment'. They provided a range of treatments that were suited to people’s needs and in line with guidance and best practice. 

They supported people to be involved in their own care and to make day-to-day choices.

GP services:

Some practices demonstrated a consistent and proactive approach towards safeguarding. 

One practice had created its own comprehensive safeguarding policy that included a quick reference section at the start, allowing staff to quickly access key safeguarding contacts and information if there was an incident. This practice had also created dedicated safeguarding leaflets for patients, which explained what to do if they had any safeguarding concerns. 

Practices were 'focused on meeting the needs of each patient':

  • One practice explained how it supported patients who had a learning disability to attend their annual health check appointment. It did this by sending personalised letters from a named receptionist whom patients could contact if they had any concerns, along with a leaflet in an easy-to-read format that outlined the benefits and process of the health check. 
  • Another practice ran an annual flu clinic and health information day in the local community, where staff offered patients a range of services including height, weight, blood pressure and blood sugar checks. 
  • Another had focused on improving the quality and equity of care for patients from the LGBTQ+ community. 
  • Another rural practice had worked to improve the range of services available from the practice, offering 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure and electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring.

Some practices operated a comprehensive clinical auditing programme and were able to demonstrate how they had shared the learning identified from clinical audits with other services to improve the quality and safety of care in the local area

Hospital services:

Across hospital services, Manx Care had introduced an electronic bleep system, which staff had on their phones. They could escalate concerns, ask for reviews, and request and contact other staff. All messages were recorded to ensure there was an audit trail. 

For relevant clinical specialisms, there was multidisciplinary decision making and relationships with tertiary centres to deliver safe services.

Some medical staff worked a rotation with services in England to maintain skill and competence in line with guidance from the medical royal colleges. 

Manx Care had developed and implemented Manx Care Advocacy and Liaison Service (MCALS) to support patients to complain or give feedback about their care, and had also developed links with a large NHS trust in north-west England to procure and develop a bespoke electronic Manx patient records system.

The staff of Manx Care were 'seen to show a genuine caring approach to patients'. The CQC described 'a strong teamworking culture that included community support groups and volunteers, which provided a holistic service with patients at the heart'.

You can find a link to the reports here.

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