CQC rates urgent and emergency care at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital Outstanding

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has upgraded urgent and emergency care at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital from Good to Outstanding following inspections completed in May.

CQC inspected services at the hospital, which is run by Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust, as part of its ongoing monitoring of the organisation. Alongside the improvement in urgent and emergency care, end of life care and services for children and young people both retained their Good ratings. The hospital’s overall rating remains Good.

Inspectors found an exceptional standard of care within urgent and emergency services, supported by a strong and open safety culture. Staff reported incidents and investigated them thoroughly, with learning used to make improvements in areas including medication safety, escalation processes and communication.

Staff were also found to treat people and their families with compassion, kindness and respect, while teams worked together to provide timely care. The trust performed better than expected for respect and dignity in the NHS Urgent and Emergency Care Survey.

Safeguarding procedures within urgent and emergency care were found to be effective, with staff completing safeguarding training and working closely with local partners to protect vulnerable people.

CQC also identified high-quality care within the hospital’s end of life services. Butterfly volunteers provided companionship and emotional support to people receiving end of life care and their families, while assessments were shared between teams so people did not have to repeatedly tell staff the same information. Several wards had also achieved gold standard accreditation for end of life care.

Children and young people’s services retained their Good rating, with inspectors highlighting the trust’s early introduction of Martha’s Rule. This gave hospital sites across North West London access to paediatric intensive care expertise for a second opinion at no additional cost.

The service recorded 65.8% of outpatient attendances as first appointments, compared with a peer average of 59.7% and a national average of 48.8%. Inspectors also found leaders supported continuous learning through regular team meetings, safety huddles and debriefs.

Across the three services, CQC found staff consistently involved people and their families in decisions about their care, while teams worked together to provide joined-up services and adapt care to people’s individual needs.

Inspectors also found a culture in which staff felt supported to raise concerns, share learning and improve care. Leaders had a clear vision for their services, worked with partners across North West London and supported innovation and new ways of working to improve people’s experiences.

CQC will continue to monitor Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust, with the overall rating for Chelsea and Westminster Hospital remaining Good.

Stay informed with the stories shaping health and social care.