Read the report here

29 October 2021

Care inspectors have judged Mountbatten Hampshire to be ‘good’ overall following an unannounced inspection visit.

Two years after a mock inspection found us to ‘require improvement’, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has revealed we are now good across all areas of our work.

The report, following the visit in August, said patients and relatives felt safe and our staff were kind, helpful and compassionate, while new services, including enhanced 24/7 support, were also praised as outstanding examples of development.

Nigel Hartley, Mountbatten CEO, said:

“I am delighted for our staff, volunteers, and supporters.

“We have made significant changes to our services and evolution of this scale takes much time and dedication from everyone involved.  

“Our good rating is a testament to the hard work of our teams who have worked together to ensure the services Mountbatten now offers are more suitable for the needs of our community.

“However, we cannot stand still and be complacent, as there is still much more to be done to improve.

“We need to continue expanding so people affected by death, dying and bereavement have access to expert and compassionate care of the highest quality.  

“I want to thank our supporters and donors who continue their efforts to keep our services viable, as every year we must raise more than £8 million to deliver our care.

“With the support of our community, we will continue to build upon the foundation we have laid and work towards providing outstanding care to people across Southampton and west Hampshire.”

Mountbatten Hampshire, formerly Countess Mountbatten Hospice, has been run independently from the NHS since April 2019, as part of a partnership with Mountbatten Isle of Wight.

Extending and enhancing services

Mountbatten has reshaped existing services and introduced new initiatives to increase the number of people it cares for.  

24/7 visiting and telephone support for patients, their carers and families across Southampton City and west Hampshire, plus a psychology and bereavement service, have been introduced.

A new domiciliary team of carers providing care packages for people at home in their last weeks of life has been expanded, working alongside a more responsive specialist community team.

Rehabilitation and enablement services to help people living with life-limiting illnesses, including day clinics, one-to-one sessions, groups, education, and community visits, also form part of our work.

Improvements have been made to the hospice building in West End and inspectors said it all helped to meet the needs of local people.

One patient highlighted in the CQC report said:

“I know I can ring anytime for support, and on bad days, they have sat in the garden with me while I have cried, and they support me and my husband absolutely marvelously.

“I am having counselling as part of the package of care they are providing, they bend over backwards to help me.” 

Sara Owen, Commissioning Manager for the local NHS Clinical Commissioning Group, praised Mountbatten for the improvements made to date.

“The report demonstrates all the good work Mountbatten Hampshire has done; creating a culture of continuous improvement, facilitated through open and honest communications.

“It is great to see how staff are now more confident to assess and manage risk and when mistakes do occur, how they address them in a timely way.”