The Care Quality Commission (CQC)
The CQC is the independent regulator of all health and social care services in England. Their role is to monitor, inspect and regulate services in care establishments across the country to make sure they meet the fundamental standards of safe, effective and high-quality care.
In 2024 we were awarded our second ‘Outstanding’ rating by the CQC following their inspection in July 2024. This marks the second time that we have received this prestigious recognition, with special acknowledgment for our exceptional care, compassionate staff, and our commitment to patient safety and wellbeing.
The inspection, part of the CQC’s routine assessments, praised St Margaret’s for being effective, caring, responsive, and well-led. Additionally, the rating for safety has been elevated from ‘Good’ to ‘Outstanding’, demonstrating the hospice’s continued dedication to providing the highest quality care.
In the CQC’s report, staff at St Margaret’s were applauded for their kindness, attentiveness, and their ability to meet the unique needs of patients and their families. The hospice was commended for its focus on patient safety and its innovative approach to end-of-life care. Special mention was given to the range of services offered, including translation services and tailored support for people with disabilities.
We found that St Margaret’s Hospice – Taunton was providing an outstanding service to the people it supported and to their families. The team there should be extremely proud of the work they do.Deborah Ivanova, Interim Deputy Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care
We know how challenging yet rewarding it is to work in such a service, and we were struck by the extent to which the hospice places the people at the heart of everything it does. More than anything else, the way in which the staff team are led to think of each person as a unique individual and respond accordingly is why this hospice has received the highest rating we can give."
Everyone at the service should be extremely proud of the high-quality care they’re providing to people and their loved ones. Other providers should look at this report to see if there’s anything they can learn."Catherine Campbell, CQC Deputy Director of Operations in the South
To read the reports from our most recent CQC inspections, please click the relevant link below:
Our Taunton-based hospice received its first Outstanding award in December 2015. We achieved ‘outstanding’ in four of the five domains and were the first the country to achieve this.