In light of recent media reports, we'd like to share with you our response as well as thank all our patients, their families, our staff, volunteers and supporters for the kindness they have shown us.
The end of August was an incredibly difficult time for our beloved hospice as we were thrust in to the media spotlight following the publication of the CQC’s Inspection report.
We have received so many very touching messages and letters of support from our community, and particularly from families who currently have loved ones being cared for at the hospice. Several of them even offered to be interviewed by the media to give their views on our care and we are incredibly grateful to them for their support.
We’d like to take this opportunity to thank our patients and their families, our staff, volunteers and supporters for the kindness they have shown us in recent weeks.
We received this wonderful letter from one of our patients in response to the CQC’s report. We have also received some very touching messages so we have set up a special Thank You page to share these touching tributes.
I would also like to reassure everyone that the hospice is already providing a more professional, safer service than ever before. One which is as compassionate and caring as people have come to expect.
Thanks to all our community for their love and support.
George Foster, Chair of Trustees
Our media statement:
“Everyone at the hospice is dedicated to providing the highest quality end of life nursing care to our patients. Over the last year, our board of trustees has been working diligently with the hospice’s new senior management team to address some long standing and persistent issues with regards to clinical practice.
“It was particularly disappointing that the CQC chose to inspect the hospice in July whilst we were in the middle of a major clinical change management process and only a matter of weeks after the appointment of our new clinical manager. We are already well aware of all the issues that have been raised by the CQC.
"In the past year, we have revised and improved our clinical governance structure and processes, implemented a new staff training system and have been working closely with our local Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and other clinical stakeholders to address other long-standing issues, and this process remains on track.
“St. Joseph’s Hospice maintains a consistent five star rating from the national patient survey, ‘I Want Great Care’ which is available to view online. A clinical quality visit took place last week as part of an ongoing review to check the progress on quality standards. The feedback was that improvements had been noted.
"Our patients, families, staff and members of our community can be assured that the hospice is now providing a more professional, safer service than ever before, but one which is as compassionate and caring as people have come to expect.”