Kent community trust rated 'good' by CQC

The inspectors found that the trust board provided “clear leadership” to staff. The organisation was well led and staff were caring. Each patient had a named nurse.

Staff delivering community health services for children and young people worked well together and there was effective communication between them.

In adult community services infection rates were low compared with national benchmarks.

Technology was used to allow patients to remain at home. Cardio-respiratory nurses were using remote blood pressure monitoring equipment which allowed staff to check on patients observations in the own home while back at the trust.

Community nurses visiting patients at home used computer tablets to take pictures of wounds and then send them to the specialist tissue viability nurses for advice on treatment.

However, the team also found that where changes were being made across the organisation staff felt excluded from decision-making.

Policies to ensure that all staff delivered the same effective care were not consistently applied across the trust’s sites. Staff were not familiar with the trust policy on Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary.

There was also inconsistent reporting of incidents.