Archived: Trust Board Offices

Updated 17 September 2014

Trust Board Offices is located in the grounds of the Countess of Chester Hospital and it is the head office for the GP out-of-hours service operated by Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. The service is responsible for providing primary care for approximately 250,000 people when GP surgeries are closed. The service is provided to people living in Chester, Ellesmere Port and Neston and rural West Cheshire.

The service is run from three satellite locations situated in the 1829 Building in the grounds of the Countess of Chester Hospital, Ellesmere Port Hospital and Tarporley War Memorial Hospital. During this inspection we visited the Trust Board Offices and the services provided at Ellesmere Port Hospital and at the 1829 Building.

The out-of-hours service is open from 18.30 – 08.00 Monday to Friday and 24 hours a day on weekend and bank holidays at the 1829 Building. The service at the Tarporley War Memorial Hospital is open from 18.30 – 08.00 Monday to Friday and 10am to 2pm Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays. The service at Ellesmere Port Hospital is provided from 18.30 – 22.30 Monday to Friday and from 09.00 – 22.30 on weekend and bank holidays.

The out-of-hours Team is a multi-disciplinary team of experienced drivers, call operators, triage nurses, nurse clinicians and GPs. The service provides telephone advice, appointments with GP and nurses and also provides GP home visits to people who are not well enough to attend an appointment.

Updated 17 September 2014

Trust Board Offices is operated by Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and provides an out-of-hours GP service across Cheshire and Wirral. The service is run from three satellite locations situated in the 1829 Building in the grounds of the Countess of Chester Hospital, Ellesmere Port Hospital and Tarporley War Memorial Hospital. Trust Board Offices is registered with the Care Quality Commission to provide the regulated activities of transport service, triage and medical advice provided remotely and for treatment of disease, disorder and injury.

The eight patients we spoke with during our inspection were very complimentary about the service they received. We had fifty three comment cards returned to us which demonstrated overall patient satisfaction. Patients told us they were treated with compassion and respect, they said it was easy to get an appointment, staff were helpful and friendly and any treatment was fully explained.

The out-of-hours service was delivered safely. The service was provided in clean and hygienic environments and there were systems in place to ensure the safety of patients which included the safe management of medicines, learning from incidents and safeguarding vulnerable adults and children.

The service was effective in meeting the wide ranging needs of patients and the varying levels of demand that were placed on it. The care patients received was audited and information shared with the patient’s usual GP to support continuation of care between different providers.

Patients received a caring service and they told us they felt listened to and that they had advice or treatment fully explained. They told us they were treated with dignity and respect.

The service was responsive to patient’s needs. Patient’s views about the service were obtained and improvements to the service were made in response to any shortfalls identified. Staffing levels were reviewed and increased staff levels were implemented according to patient’s needs.

Staff described the service as well led and staff at all levels felt well supported. There were good governance and risk management systems in place. There was an open culture of incident reporting and learning from events and complaints.