This inspection was completed to check improvements following a targeted review of the regulated activity of 'termination of pregnancies'. The focus of our visit was to assess the use of the forms that are used to certify the grounds under which a termination of pregnancy may lawfully take place.

We did not speak to people who used this service as part of this review. We looked at a random sample of medical records. This was to check that current practice ensured that no treatment for the termination of pregnancy was commenced unless two certificated opinions from doctors had been obtained.

We were told that staff were polite, courteous and respectful and one person commented, “Staff are kind, gentle and move at my pace”. People were involved in decisions about their care and treatment and felt they were listened to by staff. They said staff members were good at explaining what they were going to do and told us that the results of tests were explained in a way that people understood. Tests and scans were carried out and results were provided quickly.

All of the people we spoke with who had suffered pain confirmed that they had received pain relief quickly and that staff monitored whether people were in pain. One person had pain relief that they could control and staff listened to what they wanted. Referrals were made to specialist teams for pain management and different types of pain relief were tried.

People had positive comments regarding meals and one person said that, “The food is very good indeed and a marvellous choice, better than home”.

People were seen quickly by the triage nurse but that they did not know how long they would have to wait following this.

Staff members washed their hands before and after attending to people and any used utensils and equipment were cleared away and not left in patient use areas.

Most people were able to find the emergency department easily, although they had difficulty finding disabled parking and in understanding where to park.

Most people we spoke with said staff responded quickly to their call bells and acknowledged them if they were not able to attend to the person straight away. All but one of the people we spoke with on different wards through the hospital said they felt there were enough staff available.

All of the people we spoke with regarding complaints confirmed that they had no concerns about their care and treatment. They stated they knew who to speak to if they were not happy with any aspect of their care but that they had not needed to do this.

All of the patients we spoke with during our visit to the Maternity Unit told us they had always been shown respect by the staff caring for them. Staff were polite, caring and attentive and they said that they were treated with respect and dignity. They also told us their partners and husbands were treated with respect and welcomed into the unit. One patient told us, "All the staff have been very nice, they’re all helpful. They spend time explaining things".

The care provided was of a good standard and one woman said, "Staff have all been really nice, supportive and have had the time to talk". Most patients said they received care and treatment quickly and did not have to wait. They told us that there were usually enough staff and that they had received one to one care from a midwife while in labour.

Most people said their privacy and dignity was respected and they had not been embarrassed or made to feel uncomfortable in any way. Comments some patients made include staff being described as, “Very impressed, they really care”, “staff are lovely” and “very polite”. One patient commented when asked if they were happy with the care and treatment, “Yes very … 10/10!”

Most patients said they are involved in decisions about their care, although about half of the people we spoke with said they had not received enough information, especially about the hospital facilities. One patient said that the doctors were very good at explaining. However, a patient’s relative told us, “We ask for information, Mum is moved between wards, we are not informed”.

Patients told us that staff are caring towards them, most staff members ask them how they want to be addressed and treated, and explain what the staff member is going to do. However, some patients said they had to wait quite a long time to receive the care they required and staff members were always very busy.

Most people we spoke with were complimentary about meals provided at the hospital. They commented that there is enough to eat, often saying the amount was too much and most patients said they liked the food. One patient commented that there was a lot of choice and another patient said about meals, “I like my food hot and it always is”.

Patients said staff help them with their meals, but that sometimes they don’t get enough help with opening packets or obtaining drinks. Patients are not always helped to wash their hands before eating.

During our visit to the emergency department on 21 December 2010, we spoke with a large number of people who were using the service and also spoke with their relatives.

People told us that overall they felt that the facilities were better than those offered at the previous A&E department located at Peterborough District Hospital. However, a number of people felt that the parking arrangements were not adequate and that the emergency department’s waiting room was very cold.

The majority of people spoke highly of clinical staff and the treatment they received. People told us that they had been given specific information regarding their condition and details of discharge arrangements. People told us that their nutritional needs were met where applicable and that they were offered timely pain relief.

Although the emergency department was not excessively busy on the day of our visit, a number of people who had attended on previous days had experienced very long waits for treatment.

People told us that they found the booking in and triage arrangements confusing, and that signage in and around the department was not sufficient. People we spoke with also told us that they had been required to discuss private information in a public area.

Our rating of services stayed the same. We rated them as good because:

A summary of this hospital appears in the overall summary above.