Staff and volunteers at St Giles Hospice are starting the new year on a high after receiving an ‘Outstanding’ rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) – the independent regulator of health and social care services in England.

St Giles Hospice, which provides individually-tailored care both on-site and in patients’ own homes, is one of just a handful of hospices to ever have been awarded the highest possible accolade.

Under the new CQC inspection regime, hospices are also subject to the same level of scrutiny as hospitals, making this Outstanding rating incredibly special. 

Publishing the full report on its website this week, the CQC praised St Giles for its “compassionate” range of speciality services.

Inspectors highlighted how staff treated patients, families and their carers with dignity and kindness, stating: “People were truly respected and valued as individuals. They were empowered as partners in their care, practically and emotionally, by an exceptional and distinctive service.”

Jo Maidment, Chair of Trustees at St Giles Hospice, said: “We know that our staff and volunteers strive to deliver outstanding care every day, but to have this acknowledged by the CQC is truly wonderful and a very exciting start to 2020!

“On behalf of our Senior Management Team and Board of Trustees, I would like to say a massive thank you and congratulations to each and every member of our St Giles family.”

Helping more than 7,000 people a year facing the challenges associated with a potentially terminal illness, St Giles staff were also commended by the CQC for aiming to “make every day meaningful for people who used the service” and “consistently displaying determination and creativity” in delivering care.

The hospice was noted for going “over and above what was expected of them”, having previously hosted several weddings and arranging for a patient’s pet horse to visit, with one member of staff spending three days of her own time writing family ‘goodbye letters’ for a patient who was unable to.

Commenting on the report, Dr Emma Hodges, Chief Executive of St Giles Hospice, said: “I am absolutely delighted that everyone involved in making St Giles such an excellent charity has received the recognition they deserve from the CQC.

“This fantastic achievement is testament to the hard work, compassion and unwavering commitment of our staff, volunteers and not forgetting, our loyal supporters – without whom this would not have been possible.”

She added: “Whether you generously give your time, money or skills to St Giles, we hope that you will continue to help us to provide outstanding care in the future.

“We’re outstanding, because you’re outstanding. Thank you!”

The full CQC report can be found at www.cqc.org.uk/provider/1-101728587.

For more information about St Giles Hospice, please visit www.stgileshospice.com.