Ensuring quality

Maintaining our standards of care

As an independent hospice we are regulated by the Care Quality Commission.

The Care Quality Commission requires us to appoint a senior manager as our 'Registered Manager', who we call our Director of Adult Nursing.

Each year the Care Quality Commission undertakes an on-site inspection of the services we provide. Here is our latest Regulatory Assessment Statement.

We ask our patients to complete an annual survey commenting on our services. The most recent one was carried out in 2012. These help us to understand what people who use the service think about the way support is provided. This enables us to improve the way that we work.

Every year we also publish a Statement of Purpose, you can find this in the related links below,) which provides details on:
• our company and charity numbers, Board of Trustees, CEO and Registered Manager details
• our aim and objectives
• our management structure
• medical, nursing and other health professional team staff numbers

It is part of our registration requirement that we make this information available to you and it should be read in conjunction with our Patient Handbook.

Internal regulation

We have a systematic approach to internal regulation which we call Clinical Governance. Andy Burt, Director of Adult Nursing, is responsible for overseeing this; however, it concerns all staff at St Barnabas.

We have a rolling programme of audits and service reviews covering all aspects of the care we provide for patients.

This helps us ensure we maintain:
• high quality care
• a safe patient environment
• continuous improvement - safeguarding our high standards of care
• a main focus on patients as our priority

Current issues in End of Life Care

We know that there are an increasing number of families (and friends) who are caring for people at the end of their lives and that the topic is being talked about more - see the Dying Matters website.

Tell us what you think!
We are constantly trying to improve and develop our service in order that we can build on and develop what works well but also to change things that are not working well or that you are dissatisfied with.

There are many ways in which you can help us to achieve this:

• Speak to a member of staff and let them know if something was particularly good or if you have any concerns.
  
• Complete a feedback form which can either be found within the hospice or attached to our Points of View leaflet which you can download below.
  
• You can email us using the contact form on this site.
  
• Write to us at St Barnabas House, Titnore Lane, Worthing, West Sussex, BN12 6NZ.
  

We also run a Patient Survey once a year as a more formal way of seeking feedback about the service we provide. Please click below for the results and action plan from our last Annual Patient Survey.

We regularly seek views from patients and carers when producing information leaflets, considering service change or development and in planning the new Hospice - it is so important that we create what is right for the patients and their families that will be using it.

If you are interested in being involved in contributing to service development in any way, please let us know.

How to make a complaint
Though we constantly strive to offer a good service, there may be times when we do not get it right for you and we would want you to tell us. Raising a concern or complaint about the service you have received or are currently receiving will not affect the care given to you or someone you care about. The sooner you let us know your concerns, the sooner we can try to address them.

You can either

• Speak to a member of staff and inform them of your concerns or ask to speak to a manager if you are not comfortable speaking to the member of staff who is caring for you
  
• Write to us - please be clear in your letter about what the specific issues are that you are not happy with.
  

A summary of the complaints procedure is described in our Points of View leaflet below.

Please click below for a summary of our annual Patient Survey.