This inspection at St Michaels Hospital on 31 May 2013 was linked to an inspection of the trust’s main site at The Royal Cornwall Hospital, Treliske on 29 May 2013. This inspection looked at five key outcome areas: the provision of care in mixed gender wards, safeguarding, the suitability of the premises, staff training and supervision, and quality monitoring. The information received often referred to the trust as a whole and has been used within the inspection of St Michaels Hospital.

At the Royal Cornwall Hospital we spoke to over 50 staff, but we did not speak with patients at St Michael’s Hospital. This was because on the day of the inspection there was a full theatre list. For example, we saw many beds on St Michael’s ward had curtains drawn round for privacy and we saw one of the six-bed bays on St Joseph’s ward had four beds missing where patients had been taken to theatre for operations. However we read feedback left by patients who had had treatment at St Michael’s hospital, this was very positive and they praised the care, support and treatment provided at St Michael's Hospital.

Patients were protected from abuse.

We saw the premises were clean throughout, and the hospital and staff adhered to strict infection control protocol.

People were cared for by staff that were supported to deliver care and treatment safely and to an appropriate standard.

The hospital had quality assurance processes in place to monitor and improve the services they provided.

People using the service told us they were very satisfied with the care and treatment they receive at St Michael’s Hospital. They told us the staff were very kind and caring and they were treated with respect. One person said the staff were wonderful and very patient. One person at Marie Therese House said she had received care there many times and was always well looked after. She said “The staff are all lovely and very experienced”. People said there would be no issues in raising concerns to any of the staff or the manager if the need arose.

Comments on the NHS Choices website include “All the staff were caring, sensitive and helpful. They even did what they could to allow me my privacy by giving me a room/ward to myself. I felt cared for and listened to. Everyone - from the surgeons to the breast cancer nurse to the cleaner - was kind. I really cannot rate it more highly”. Also, “The staff were very professional and helpful and happy. Discipline was excellent. If ever I needed to have an operation, St. Michael's would be my choice”

People told us the food was good and there were choices on the menu. One person said “I have three meals a day and always put on weight when I’m here”.

People using the service told us they were very happy with the cleanliness of the hospital. The overall rating on the NHS Choices website was 100% and one person stated “The environment where I was treated was exceptionally clean

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

• Medicine was rated as good. Safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led were all rated as good.
• Surgery remained good overall. Safe stayed the same since our last inspection and was rated good. Effective stayed the same and was rated good. Caring went down and was rated as good. Responsive and well led stayed the same since our last inspection and were rated good.
• Outpatients was rated good overall. Safe, caring, responsive and well-led were rated good. Effective was not rated.