Dr Sarah Wollaston visited a South Hams hospital earlier this month following reports of its health and social care regulator having being rated as ‘Outstanding’.

Dr Sarah Wollaston, MP for Totnes, was welcomed to South Hams Hospital, Kingsbridge on August 15 for a fact-finding visit.

This comes after the company that runs the hospital, Livewell Southwest Community Interest Company, had its level of care rated as ‘Outstanding’ by health and social care regulator, the Care Quality Commission, just a week prior.

Staff welcomed Dr Wollaston, who is chairman of Parliament’s Influential Health and Care Select Committee as well as a qualified GP, and gave her a tour of the facilities.

She was greeted by hospital matron Diana Green along with Livewell Southwest finance director and deputy chief executive Dan O’Toole and chatted with various nursing, therapy and support staff during the visit.

Dr Wollaston was particularly impressed when she visited a newly-refurbished treatment room which hosts Livewell’s innovative Wellbeing Club, a program which treats people with leg ulcers in a way which provides nutrition and lifestyle advice, alongside wound treatment in a social environment. This ‘holistic approach’ has ‘reduced healing times from 18 months to just 12 weeks.’

Other topics discussed included the introduction of ‘Red to Green’, a project used by nurses and therapists which gives the patient more say in what happens to them, and ensures something which promotes their recovery happens every day.

The effect is to give a better overall patient experience, a shorter length of stay and improved health and wellbeing outcomes.

Dr Wollaston said: “I would like to thank all the staff and volunteers based at South Hams Hospital for their dedicated service and care, both within the hospital itself and reaching out into the wider community.

“It was great to see the ongoing developments and facilities and have the opportunity to hear direct from staff about innovative approaches to treatment as well as hear views about what matters most for health and social care.”

Lewis Bell, deputy locality manager for the South Hams, helped to co-ordinate the visit and said: “We were delighted to welcome Dr Wollaston once again, as she always takes a keen interest in our work, our staff and our community.

“She has always been supportive of the diverse and wide ranging role South Hams Hospital provides to the local community.”

Livewell Southwest is an independent social enterprise which provides integrated health and social care services for people across Plymouth, South Hams, and west Devon.

A report published on August 7 shows Livewell Southwest retain its overall Care Quality Commission rating as ‘Good’ and its level of care improve to ‘Outstanding’.

The CQC is responsible for independently monitoring and inspecting services to ensure that they are safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led, and then publishing its findings.

Geoff Baines, director of patient experience, safety and equality at Livewell Southwest said: “At a time when health and social services are experiencing pressure across the board, we are delighted that not only have we retained our overall CQC rating as ‘Good’, but the rating for the care we provide has been increased from ‘Good’ to ‘Outstanding’.

“To receive positive, independent recognition of our staff’s hard work across our mental health services and community health services is testament to the professionalism and commitment they show day in, day out.”