West London NHS Trust Rated 'Good' by Care Quality Commission

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Chief Executive praises staff for dedication and 'going the extra mile'

West London NHS Trust has been rated as “good” by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in its latest report.

This comes less than two years after the Trust was rated as “requires improvement” by the CQC.

The CQC has rated the Trust “outstanding” for caring and “good” for being effective, responsive and well-led.

The report is based on an inspection of the Trust over the past few months.

West London NHS Trust provides mental and physical health services in community, inpatient, specialist and forensic (secure) settings, across 30 main sites in ten boroughs including Hammersmith & Fulham, where its services include the Mental Health Unit attached to Charing Cross Hospital.

The CQC has found significant improvements in the majority of the teams and wards inspected. They have rated the Trust’s forensic services as “outstanding,” having been “inadequate” three years ago.

Across the Trust, the CQC has highlighted:

• The way staff treat patients with kindness, compassion and respect, and go the extra mile to meet patients’ needs
• The way the Trust works in partnership with patients, carers and the local community and involves patients in the development of their care and in service delivery at every opportunity
• Effective leadership and improved staff engagement
• The Trust’s grip on its finances

The CQC has rated the Trust as requiring improvement on safety. It has highlighted the use of outdated buildings and challenges with recruitment and retention, while acknowledging that the Trust is aware of these issues and is working hard to address them.

Welcoming the report, Carolyn Regan, Chief Executive of West London NHS Trust, said: “Today’s report demonstrates the scale of the improvements we have made as a Trust over the last two years. Our local communities rightly expect high-quality, responsive services to meet their mental and physical health needs. I am really pleased that the CQC has found that we are meeting those expectations.

“I’d like to pay tribute to our staff, for their hard work, dedication and for going the extra mile for service users, patients and their carers and families. The “outstanding” rating we have received for caring is a testament to this.“Our priority now is to move from good to great. We will build on the areas identified by the CQC – to do more of what they’ve found works well and to address what needs to improve. Our ambition is to become a truly outstanding provider of mental and physical healthcare in West London and beyond.”

December 21, 2018