Sofy Robertson
Hospiscare staff and volunteers celebrate their Outstanding CQC rating
Hospiscare staff and volunteers celebrate their Outstanding CQC rating
Hospiscare, the local hospice charity for Exeter, central and east Devon, has been rated as ‘outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission, the regulatory body for healthcare services.
The news comes following an inspection of the hospice by the CQC between January and April 2024, as part of the regulator’s programme of checks on the safety and quality of healthcare services.
Following the inspection, the hospice is rated as outstanding in the categories of ‘well-led’, ‘caring’, ‘response’ and ‘effective’ and good in the category of ‘safe’, with an overall verdict of outstanding and inspectors praised the hospice as “exceptionally effective”.
Inspectors noted that:
- Hospiscare patients felt they were treated with dignity and appreciated hospice staff members’ “can-do” attitude.
- The care provided is flexible, well-coordinated, and respectful of patient choices and views.
- The hospice’s outreach work and partnerships provided palliative care for those in society who might otherwise struggle to access it.
- Hospice staff were recognised for their knowledge, skills and training.
Ann Rhys, Clinical Director at Hospiscare, said: “It’s testament to the skill, dedication and hard work of our staff members and the support of our volunteers at Hospiscare that our services have been rated by CQC as outstanding. I’m particularly proud that our specialist care was noted by inspectors to be exceptionally effective and responsive.
“I’d also like to thank our supporters in the local community who fund our charity through donations, playing our lottery, shopping in our charity shops and leaving a gift in their wills. It’s thanks to their generosity that we’re able to provide our services to those in need of expert end-of-life care, free of charge.”
Hospiscare is an independent hospice charity that provides vital end-of-life care services across 1,064 square miles of Devon, including some of the most rural areas of the county. The charity raises over 80% of its running costs from its fundraising activities every year, with only 18% of its costs funded by the NHS.
The CQC report comes at a time when Hospiscare is facing a £2.5 million shortfall in its income due to rising costs and an inequitable level of funding from the Devon Integrated Care Board (ICB), the local NHS funding body.
The hospice is currently campaigning for fair funding from Devon ICB to safeguard its services for people in Exeter, central and east Devon living with terminal illnesses. Information on this, and all Hospiscare’s services, can be found at www.hospiscare.co.uk.