Significant improvements boost hospice ratings

The facility has offered care for those nearing the end of their lives since 1984

Significant improvements have been made at a hospice previously rated as inadequate, the health watchdog has found.

Butterwick Hospice in Stockton has now been upgraded to a rating of good following a visit by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Inspectors found staff to be attentive, welcoming and kind, with safety and risk assessment measures in place.

The hospice's chief executive said a lot of work had been put into "fixing things".

The CQC gave the inadequate rating in May 2021 after inspectors found significant safety concerns in areas such as staff checks.

In addition, care and treatment did not always reflect current guidelines and learning from incidents was not widely shared.

Chief executive Edward Gorringe said the service had addressed each of the issues identified in the previous report

However, the latest inspection in May this year found the service had made significant improvements, with the registered manager "responding positively" to concerns raised and previous conditions imposed.

People said they "felt safe", while unprompted feedback from relatives described care as being "of the highest standard [enabling] people to have a dignified end".

Chief executive Edward Gorringe said: "It's been several years of work, not just putting systems and processes into place but building the right culture as well.

"The things that were identified in the previous report, we addressed each one in turn and put the work into fixing things."

Victoria Marsden, CQC deputy director of operations in the north, said: "Everyone at Butterwick Hospice should be proud of their efforts to improve the service."

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