An end-of-life hospice has received an "excellent" report from the Care Quality Commission following an unannounced inspection two weeks ago.

The Care Quality Commission, which independently checks whether hospices, hospitals, care homes and other care services are meeting essential standards, concluded that The Hospice of St Francis met all criteria in its inspection, which took place on February 12, across care and welfare, cleanliness and infection control, staffing, complaints and meeting nutritional needs.

The report’s overall conclusion was that the hospice staff were "just so caring". It highlighted that staff and doctors communicated with people very well, keeping them informed of any changes in their health and wellbeing and that all staff, from the chef and nurses to the volunteers and doctors, were ‘willing to help’.

Watford Observer:

The hospice cares for many people in Kings Langley, Abbots Langley and the surrounding area, at the end of their lives.

The inspector praised the "excellent" level of care planning at the hospice, always involving the multidisciplinary team, the patient and those close to them. This was confirmed by relatives who were interviewed, who stated that they "never had to explain things twice" to the team.

It also emphasised that the hospice had enough qualified, skilled and experienced staff, who all underwent regular competency assessments in key areas of clinical care, to meet people’s needs.

Alison Allard, Director of Nursing, said: "I am proud to share this report which gives evidence of our staff’s exceptional care. I can honestly say that every staff and volunteer member at The Hospice of St Francis always gives the very best, going the extra mile to ensure every patient and family experience is of the highest quality, whilst putting privacy, kindness and dignity at the heart of our care."