The trust operates from three sites:

• Blackpool Victoria, which is the main hospital site and the focus of much of its work
• Clifton Hospital, which currently has four wards, mainly for elderly care and rehabilitation (with one outpatient clinic)
• Fleetwood Hospital,

This report relates to the Clifton Hospital site.

Clifton Hospital is a community hospital situated at Lytham St Annes, approximately seven miles from Blackpool. The hospital forms part of Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and provides non-acute and rehabilitation care, predominantly for older people. Care is provided across four wards and a day case unit. Rheumatology and dermatology outpatient services for the trust are provided at Clifton hospital.

At this hospital we looked at inpatient medical services and outpatient clinics.

We spoke with patients on the wards, and also with patients and members of the public in the outpatients department.

Overall we found that services provided at the Clifton hospital were provided in a safe, effective, caring manner, that they were responsive to the needs of those using the services and were well led.

We saw good examples of the input of volunteers on wards supporting patients. Staff were caring and compassionate and the leadership was clearly visible. Patients we met were very complimentary about the care they had received. Some patients were not sure on the date for their discharge, or what progress they would need to make to be well enough for discharge.

We did see that the storage of equipment in some ward areas was unsatisfactory. The legibility of some records made understanding the content very difficult. This will have an impact of the ability of some staff to follow the instructions and care plan.