Royal Surrey meets standards for dignity and nutrition

The regulator checked two “essential standards” of care during an inspection at the trust’s Royal Surrey County Hospital on 24 March 2011.

Inspectors – including a practising nurse – observed how people were being cared for, talked with patients, talked with staff, and checked records.

The standards assessed were:

• People should be treated with respect, involved in discussions about their care and treatment and able to influence how the service is run
• Food and drink should meet people’s individual dietary needs

It concluded overall that the Royal Surrey County Hospital had passed the CQC standards for dignity and nutrition.

In its report, the regulator said: “Patients were positive about their experiences of care and treatment and said staff listened to them and treated them respectfully. The trust provides staff training, and has policies in place, to ensure that patients are involved in their care, and that their privacy and dignity are respected.

“There are arrangements in place to monitor patient feedback, and to ensure that any shortfalls are identified and addressed in a timely way.”

It added: “The hospital is ensuring that people have an assessment of their nutritional needs, and that staff are trained to support people who need assistance. The quality of the food is good and patients spoken with were complimentary about their meals.”

The regulator visited 100 hospitals as part of its programme of inspections on older patients’ treatment and is currently publishing them in batches, of which this is the fourth.