Trust Headquarters - Doncaster

During our inspection we spoke with a number of patients who use the service. Patients we talked with were generally positive about their care and experience in hospital. Patients we spoke with told us they were happy with the progress they had made in hospital and were aware of their care needs and their care plans. Patients said that they had been involved in their care reviews and had attended meetings about their care. Patients we spoke with told us that their medicines and any changes to them were discussed and that they had enough privacy and support when taking medicines.

Patients said that the staff who supported them on a daily basis listened to them and did their best for them. Patients said they received appropriate support from staff. Patients told us that staff listened to their comments and concerns and acted on them, although two patients said that they were worried about their discharge.

There were five in-patients at Trust Headquarters -Sapphire Lodge, when we visited. We met and introduced ourselves to four of the patients using the service. One patient was on 'leave' at home. We spoke with the other four patients to get their views of the service. This is what patients told us;

One patient told us, 'Yes, it's fine here.'

A second patient said, 'It's alright, bit of a dump, but I like it.' 'Staff are fantastic.' This patient went on to thank all the staff for the help they had given them.

Other patient's comments included;

'I have my own plan (care plan) in my bedroom.'

'Staff are good they listen to you. '

One patient told us they did not want to be at the service, but knew this was necessary as they said, 'I have not been well.' They told us they liked the staff and said, 'I will miss them (staff), you can have a laugh with them, they make me laugh.'

We spoke to three relatives during the inspection and this is what they told us;

One relative said, 'The staff at Sapphire Lodge do an excellent job.' From their perspective the personal care at Sapphire Lodge was 'good' and their impression was that `healthy eating options' were always available. The relative told us they believed the patients health needs had been appropriately supported at the unit.

Another relative told us, the 'food, medication and personal care' given to their relative whilst in Sapphire Lodge was, "very good'. The relative told us the patient, 'spent most of their time in their room reading books and listening to music'. Overall, this relative was full of praise for the staff and doctors working at Sapphire Lodge and said the current doctor was the, 'best doctor (the patient had) ever had'.

A third relative told us they were not happy about the service, had made complaints about the service in the past and currently had a complaint being investigated. We checked this with senior managers at the service and they sent us in information which, evidenced that the relatives complaints either had been or were currently still under investigation.

One patient told us, 'I am looked after very well, staff work very hard. I have nothing but admiration for them'.

We spoke with six people about their medicines and the care they received. No-one we spoke with self-administered any of their prescribed medicines. Managers told us that there was no policy to support self-administration. People we spoke with told us that their medicines and any changes to them were discussed and that they had enough privacy and support when taking them. We asked about how people could receive treatment for minor ailments such as, a cold. One person we spoke with told us that the nurse had brought them some painkillers when they needed them. Nurses confirmed there was a stock of discretionary medicines for this purpose.

One patient told us they had a copy of their plan of care kept in their locker.

Patients we spoke to told us they understood their care and treatment and were supported by staff.

Patients told us that they had attended a healthy life style, healthy eating meeting that day. They talked about the food that they normally like and that they should eat more fruit and try and exercise to be healthy. One of the staff joined in and encouraged the discussion. They told us It was a very positive session relating to their health and wellbeing.

Patients also told us they attended the multi disciplinary meetings and said, 'They are alright'.

Our observation of staff and patient's interactions were positive and there was respect from both sides. When staff sat with patients and chatted there was a sense of support and friendship.

Patients told us they knew who to contact if they had a problem and felt listened to and informed us they were taken seriously