Alan Hudson Day Treatment Centre rated ‘Outstanding’ by CQC

• 13 April 2020

The Alan Hudson Day Treatment Centre, which last year supported over 400 patients and their families living with a life-limiting illness or condition, has been recognised as ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC)!

The specialist Day Treatment Centre – an Arthur Rank Hospice service based at North Cambs Hospital – supports people in Wisbech and the Fens who are living with an advanced serious illness or a life-limiting condition. Services include: Day Therapy; treatment and clinical days (including blood transfusions, oncology and symptom management); complementary and diversional therapies; bereavement and support services; a Hospice at Home service giving support to patients and their families in their own homes; a specialist community care service ensuring integrated care; and clinical advice and support to palliative patients on the adjacent Trafford Ward.

Sara Robins, Director of Clinical Services at Arthur Rank Hospice Charity comments:

“We are thrilled and delighted that our Alan Hudson Day Treatment Centre has been recognised as being outstanding!  I am so proud of the team.  The report recognises the amazing work they do and the high standards of care they all deliver. The service was inspected by CQC using their new hospice core service framework, with inspectors from the hospital’s acute inspection team.  The fact that we achieved an overall rating of outstanding is testament to the values and dedication of all staff who work there, making every moment count.”

The full report from the inspection of the Day Centre’s Day Therapy service, which took place in January 2020, is available to view on the CQC website.  The report includes recognition that:

“Staff treated patients and their families with compassion and kindness, […] went above and beyond expectations to meet their individual needs and wishes […and] helped patients live their everyday life to its fullest.”

Inspectors also noted that since their last inspection in July 2017, the substantial redevelopment and expansion work on the Centre (January 2019 – April 2019)

“had significantly enhanced the environment in order to provide the services on offer.”

The Day Treatment Centre was found to provide:

• “a holistic person centred culture that took all aspects of the patient’s care into consideration when delivering treatment or complimentary therapy” adding that it was
• “clear that during their time at the day centre, patients and their relatives built strong and caring relationships with the staff and volunteers.”

Comments from patients directly benefitting from the Centre’s care included:

“I couldn’t wish for better treatment”, “the people here are like family” and that the professional approach to treatment was “always delivered in a total caring, loving way”.

A relative of one patient explained to inspectors that the Day Centre had provided them:

“A life line and the ability to leave their loved one in a safe place where staff knew them well. They told us the day centre staff had been amazing and that their loved one looked forward to coming to the centre and they had an opportunity to meet friends and socialise, they said it felt like they were leading a ‘normal life’.”

Since the inspection took place in January 2020, many of Arthur Rank Hospice Charity’s services, including those at the Alan Hudson Day Treatment Centre have had to adapt in response to the pandemic and government guidelines in relation to COVID-19.  Day Therapy at the Centre has been closed but the team continue to support these patients on the telephone or through video calls. Treatments are continuing as normal within enhanced infection control measures in place. If required and in special circumstances, the service has expanded to deliver treatments in patients’ own homes. The Centre’s specialist palliative care team continue to support North Cambs Hospital’s Trafford Ward with their end of life and palliative care beds.

Community based services are more in demand than ever. Between February and March, the number of referrals to the Alan Hudson Day Treatment Centre’s Community Team doubled, alongside the number of home visits by the Hospice at Home Fenland Day Service. The number of home visits by the Community Team also saw an increase of 20%. An urgent recruitment drive is taking place to appoint healthcare assistants and nurses into the Arthur Rank Community Team, who also deliver essential end of life care in Wisbech, Fenland and East Cambs.

The Day Treatment Centre would also like to introduce their newest recruit, Toni Bird who has been appointed as Fundraising Co-ordinator to help nurture and coordinate fundraising efforts. Crucial donations and support from the local community alongside funding from the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kings Lynn (for services provided for their patients) mean that services are provided free of charge.

If you, your organisation or work place is interested in exploring how you can help support the outstanding care provided by the Alan Hudson Day Treatment Centre please get in touch with Toni on 01945 669620 or toni.bird@arhc.org.uk