Wexham Park Hospital rated 'Outstanding' by healthcare watchdog

Wexham Park Hospital has been upgraded to an ‘Outstanding’ overall rating following an inspection by the Care Quality Commission.

Inspectors from England’s healthcare regulator visited the hospital in February to check the standard of its medical care and urgent and emergency care.

The hospital, run by the Frimley NHS Foundation Trust, was rated ‘Good’ at its previous inspection in May 2023 but this rating has now been improved.

Hospital staff earned praise for treating patients with ‘kindness, empathy and respect’.

Helen Rawlings, CQC’s director of operations for the south of England, said: “During our inspection of Wexham Park and Frimley Park Hospitals, we found leaders and staff working together to embed improvements identified in previous visits.

“They demonstrated a strong commitment to delivering care that was safe, compassionate, and centred on the needs of the people they served, even during a period of heightened pressure on hospitals.

“People told us staff treated them with kindness, empathy, and respect for their dignity.”

Inspectors said staff take time to understand the needs of patients and contacted friends and family when necessary while always seeking permission before sharing updates.

The CQC also highlighted ‘exceptional acts of compassion’ at Wexham Park.

One example of this saw a veteran’s champion at the hospital arranging a full military funeral for a person with no family, bringing together members of the Berkshire military community.

The healthcare watchdog said secure electronic systems are used to safeguard patients’ privacy with steps taken to limit personal information on public displays.

Urgent and emergency care 

The responsiveness of the hospital’s urgent and emergency care was downgraded from Outstanding to Good.

Inspectors said that when demand for urgent and emergency care is high, staff followed clear procedures for corridor care to protect the safety, dignity and privacy of patients.

But the report found that the privacy and dignity of patients was sometimes compromised when demand outgrew capacity in the department.

The CQC said patients sometimes faced long waits and overcrowding due to challenges with flow in the hospital.

A report found that openness and a ‘no blame culture’ is also promoted at the hospital.

Staff training has led to key changes within the hospital’s urgent and emergency care such as allergy information being instantly visible on medical records.

Medical care

During an inspection of medical care at Wexham Park, inspectors found staff listen to patients’ needs and act quickly to reduce discomfort or distress.

Leaders at the hospital also took steps to adjust staffing levels during busy periods, the CQC said.

“Staff should be proud of these positive findings, which reflect the difference they make to people’s lives every day,” Ms Rawlings added.

“We will continue to monitor the trust and look forward to seeing how they’ve applied the learnings from their outstanding areas to others.”

Following the inspection, Wexham Park Hospital has been handed the following ratings:

• Overall rating – Outstanding (previously Good)
• Medical care rating – Outstanding (previously Good)
• Responsiveness of urgent and emergency care – Good (previously Outstanding)

Inspectors also visited Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey which received an Outstanding rating for its medical care.

The hospital’s rating for its urgent and emergency care services has been downgraded from Outstanding to Good while its safety rating remains Requires Improvement.