The Queens Centre at Castle Hill Hospital has been awarded the Macmillan Quality Environment Mark (MQEM). Created by Macmillan Cancer Support, the MQEM is a detailed quality framework used for assessing whether cancer care environments meet the standards required by people living with cancer.
This is the third time that the Queens Centre for Oncology and Haematology has been successful in receiving this award, having already achieved the required standards in 2013 and 2016.
Queens Centre
In meeting Level 5 MQEM standards, Queens Centre has demonstrated to users of its environment that it is:
> welcoming and accessible to all
> respectful of people’s privacy and dignity
> supportive to users’ comfort and well-being
> giving choice and control to people using your service
> listening to the voice of the user.
The MQEM assessment report evidenced that there was an ‘extremely high appreciation of the building, the services and the care provided by staff’ and it was noted that ‘team working across all disciplines of staff including cleaners, nurses, volunteers, doctors, radiologists and pharmacists means the patient is at the heart of the services provided. This was noticeable at all levels of the organisation and helps create the family atmosphere that was observed within the hospital.’ A view echoed by Carol Rogers, Trust Lead Cancer Management Support Officer at the Queens Centre. Carol said:
“Whilst carrying out the MQEM assessment, I spoke with patients and staff members at the centre and was overwhelmed by the feedback. Patients noted that all staff, whether in a cleaning, catering or clinical role, are supportive and it was clear to see the sense of pride that each staff member has to work here.”
Carol Rogers and Julie Watson
Beverley Geary, Chief Nurse at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said:
“I am delighted that our Queens Centre has, once again, been awarded this prestigious award. It is testament to the hard working and dedicated staff that we have in our Trust.
It is even more significant to the Trust that we have achieved this for the third time running and that the award is measured on our patients’ feedback of our services.”
Julie Watson, Macmillan Lead Cancer Nurse at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said:
“Undertaking the assessment process was once again a very positive experience and we are pleased that the Queens Centre continues to be recognised as a supportive environment for patients, where their voices are heard and reflected within the work we do and the changes we make. We always strive to ensure that we get the best out of our environment and to make sure that the care pathway is the best it can be for the patient.”
All three acute hospital trusts within the Humber, Coast and Vale region (Hull University Teaching Hospital, York Teaching Hospital and Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust) have been awarded the MQEM award since it began in 2010.
For more information about MQEM, please visit https://www.macmillan.org.uk/about-us/health-professionals/programmes-and-services/mqem
