The 2023 Patient-Led Assessments of the Care Environment (PLACE) results have been released, with Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust (WCHC) scoring above the national average in all six of the assessed areas with both Cleanliness and Condition, Appearance and Maintenance scoring 100%.
The assessment which must involve a minimum of two local people (known as patient assessors) took place at the Community Intermediate Care Centre (CICC) in October 2023 and included the three wards, Bluebell, Aster and Iris.
PLACE assessments are an annual appraisal of the non-clinical aspects of healthcare settings, rating on important domains such as cleanliness, food and hydration provision and how an organisation meets the needs of people with dementia or a disability.
The Trust scored 100% for food which represents the mealtime assessment. Privacy, Dignity and Wellbeing scored 97.3%. Meeting the needs of people with dementia and disability received 96.26% and 93.59% respectively, with plans already in place to make further improvements.
Feedback from the public assessors was overwhelmingly positive. They reported that the wards had a positive environment and felt this would have a beneficial impact on many patients’ wellbeing, particularly those who had recent experience in either an acute hospital or other care setting.
The day rooms were popular with the assessors, who made the point that the social aspect of these spaces were vital in the rehabilitation process for many patients. They were also impressed with the behaviour and conduct of the clinical staff, who were observed treating patients with warmth and kindness. The ward managers were always open and responsive to the assessors’ questions, and all were noted as being proud of their wards and the staff who work within them.
Perhaps most importantly, the CICC wards passed the friends and family test, with both assessors stating that they would recommend the wards to loved ones and would even like to be cared for in the environment themselves.
Service Director for CICC Amanda Patullo, said: “I am delighted that the 2023 PLACE assessment scores for CICC are so positive. This has been achieved through the collaboration of several services here at the Trust. I am incredibly proud that the hard work of the team and their dedication to our patients and visitors is reflected in this assessment.”
“We are always looking at ways to improve our patient care and will aim to further increase our ratings across all domains in the next assessment.
Chief Nurse, Paula Simpson said: “The management and clinical teams who work at, or in support of, CICC have expressed their pride in how the service has grown and developed since its foundation. This was recently recognised by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) who rated CICC ‘Good’ across all domains reporting that ‘staff treated patients with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, and took account of their individual needs. There was a strong, visible person-centred culture.’
“There are many positives to take from these results, and those of us who have frequent contact with the staff at CICC do not find the feedback surprising. The service is a credit to the Trust, and embodies the values of Compassion, Open and Trust.”
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