Patients at the new Plymouth Dialysis Unit are very happy with the care they receive and complimentary about the staff who provide that care, according to a report published by the Care Quality Commission.
As part of a routine schedule of reviews, inspectors from the Care Quality Commission carried out an unannounced visit to the unit on 19 December 2011, checked records, observed how people were being cared for, talked to staff and to people who use the dialysis service.
The inspectors have documented their findings in a glowing report, which has now been published on the Care Quality Commission website.
All of the patients the inspectors spoke to were complimentary about the staff and the care they received. One patient said: "All the staff are excellent, very professional and efficient. It was a good service when we were at the hospital but the new unit has made it even better. I've found parking easier and the staff seem to have less distractions than in the hospital so the time I am here is quicker."
Another commented: "We were involved from the beginning about the move to this new unit. They asked us about what we wanted and this has happened." Another patient said "We recently were asked to fill in a questionnaire about the new building. We told them we didn't want the art work on the window. Sure enough it's been removed."
One patient said: "It's as if they are waiting for your bell to ring - it's very good."
The new purpose-built unit opened its doors in the summer of 2011, when patients formerly undergoing haemodialysis at Derriford Hospital started to receive their treatment in the new surroundings.
Chief Executive Helen O’Shea said: “This report confirms everything I have heard and felt when I have been to the unit myself. It is a home from home for many patients who spend up to 15 hours there per week and it is gratifying to know that they feel it meets their needs.
“I would like to put on record my personal thanks all those involved in creating a unit that meets all the essential standards of safety and quality and which gets a unanimous thumbs-up from patients. A special thank you goes to Unit Sister Anca Ichim who, in the words of one patient, leads by example and all the staff follow.”
Matron for General Surgery and Renal, Ann Cornelius, said: “I am very proud of the Unit Sister and her nursing team and the results they have achieved. They have moved a very busy dialysis unit to a new location and an unannounced inspection has given them an outstanding report. The patients who were involved in the visit spoke very highly of the unit and its staff and we were extremely delighted to read their responses to the inspectors.”
Unit Manager, Anca Ichim said: “We are delighted with our new unit and we are really pleased that the patients are so happy with the care with give here. I am supported by a wonderful team and I would like to thank them and everyone involved, from many teams outside of our unit, for helping us provide really good care.”
The full report is available at: http://www.cqc.org.uk/directory/RK9X2
The new Plymouth Dialysis Unit provides outpatient haemodialysis, education and dialysis training to patients with advanced renal failure who are living in Plymouth, East Cornwall, North and South Devon. The new unit, based in Eaton Business Park replaced the hub haemodialysis unit previously located within Derriford Hospital.
It is an open plan unit with 29 haemodialysis stations, offering treatment in either four station bays or two station bays. There are also four single rooms available for patients requiring haemodialysis and who need to be isolated for medical reasons. Each station has a ceiling-mounted television.