Scarborough's Saint Catherine's hospice rated 'Outstanding' in latest official report

The CQC, the independent regulator of all health and social care services in England, visited Saint Catherine’s in May and returned for a follow-up visit in June.

Inspectors looked at all services, including in-patient care, Hospice at Home, specialist palliative care community services, specialist nursing, social work, outpatient clinics, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, complementary therapies, bereavement support and spiritual care.

They visited various departments across the organisation, including catering, housekeeping, maintenance, human resources, volunteering and more, to build up a picture of how the organisation works as a whole, speaking to patients, families, staff, trustees and volunteers.

The CQC looks at whether services are safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led. Since the hospice was last inspected and rated Outstanding in 2016, the process has become even more rigorous, as hospices are now inspected under similar criteria to hospitals rather than care homes.

Mike Wilkerson, chief executive, said: “This is a huge credit to all of our staff and volunteers. To be rated as ‘Outstanding’ is a result of the job they do, the dedication they show, the care and consideration they provide to our patients, their families and carers, and the passion they have for continuing to demonstrate Saint Catherine’s is an outstanding place. On behalf of our Board of Trustees, I would like to thank everyone for their hard work and say how proud we all are of this fantastic achievement.”

The report highlights how staff had gone the extra mile to ensure person-focussed, exceptional care, how patients were treated with compassion and kindness and how they said staff made them feel welcome.