The Gold Standards Framework is a nationally recognised programme that supports healthcare teams to improve the quality, coordination and consistency of care for people nearing the end of life, ensuring that patients and those important to them receive the best possible support.
The Trust has received confirmation that its newest accredited services, the Medical Emergency Care Unit (MECU) and the Community Heart Failure Service, have achieved GSF Accreditation. In addition, Ward C8 (Stroke Unit), Ward C3 (Forget Me Not Unit - FMNU), the Coronary Care Unit (CCU), Critical Care and the End of Life Rapid Response Team have all been awarded the prestigious Platinum status.
The awards were presented at the National Gold Standards Framework Conference and Awards Ceremony on 22nd September.
This achievement means that every medical inpatient ward across the Trust has now attained GSF Accreditation, demonstrating the organisation’s commitment to delivering high-quality, compassionate end of life care.
Diane Wake, Group Chief Executive at The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust said, “This is a fantastic achievement for the teams here and reflects the dedication, compassion and professionalism shown by colleagues across our wards and community services every day.
“Achieving GSF Accreditation across all of our medical inpatient wards is an important milestone and demonstrates our shared commitment to continually improving the quality of care we provide to patients at the end of life and to those who matter most to them.
“We are incredibly proud of everyone who has contributed to this success.”
Dr Louis Harpham-Lockyer, Trust End of Life Lead said, "This is a fantastic achievement for our teams and a real testament to the commitment they show every day to providing high-quality, compassionate end of life care. To see C3/FMNU recognised as GSF Hospital Ward of the Year is a wonderful achievement, alongside our teams achieving accreditation for the first time and those successfully re-accredited.”
“Perhaps most importantly, reaching the point where every medical ward at Russells Hall Hospital has achieved GSF accreditation is a significant milestone for The Dudley Group. It demonstrates our collective commitment to recognising when patients may be approaching the end of life and making sure their care is personalised, coordinated and centred on what matters most to them. I’m incredibly proud of all the teams involved.”
While the accreditation marks a major step forward, the Trust says it is committed to continuing its improvement journey. The Specialist Palliative Care Team will continue to work alongside clinical teams to support ongoing reaccreditation, embed continuous quality improvement and expand GSF implementation into surgical services so that even more patients can benefit from this approach to care.