Patient assessors give Shepton Mallet NHS Treatment Centre top marks

Company news

Sep 02, 2014

Care UK’s Shepton Mallet NHS Treatment Centre has received a 100 per cent score for its levels of cleanliness and site maintenance from patient assessors during this year’s Patient Led Assessment of the Care Environment (PLACE) inspection.

The centre in Old Wells Road also received 96.9 per cent for its commitment to patient dignity, privacy and wellbeing and 97.9 per cent for the excellent standard of the food patients receive, all well above the national averages. 

Hospital director Chester Barnes said: “The centre’s dedicated team always strives for excellence and so they were delighted when we received the results of this year’s inspection, which recognises their level of commitment to delivering a first rate service.

“The centre has an excellent record of infection prevention, and this has been achieved by maintaining a rigorous cleaning regime and consistently reviewing performance.”

The PLACE inspections seek to ensure that every NHS patient is cared for with compassion and dignity in a clean, safe environment. The yearly assessments apply to hospitals, hospices and day treatment centres providing NHS funded care. They examine how the environment supports patient’s privacy and dignity, food, cleanliness and general building maintenance.

The inspections are carried out by a team that includes local patient assessors who are given training for the task. In Shepton Mallet, an inspection team of four people carried out the checks, of whom two were patients drawn from local patient forums. They spent all day carrying out the assessment and spoke to patients in the wards and the outpatient department as well as interviewing team members.

Reflecting on the results, Chester said: “The feedback was very positive, and we are delighted to be setting the kind of standards that are well above national levels." 

As well as advanced diagnostic services, the Care UK centre offers specialisms including orthopaedics, gastroenterology, gynaecology, urology, ophthalmology, Ear, Nose and Throat and pain management.