We carried out an Inspection at Harwich Hospital on 31 July 2013. We inspected the community rehabilitation ward, the minor injuries unit, and spoke with some of the specialist healthcare professionals working at the hospital on the day.

We received some very positive comments from people being treated on the ward at the hospital. One person told us: "I've been treated very well since I've been here, I can’t praise the staff highly enough."

One staff member we spoke with told us: "We let people set their own goals and include family and friends to help them achieve their best potential."

We saw that people were protected against the risks associated with medicines because appropriate arrangements were in place to manage medicines.

We found records were kept securely and could be located promptly when needed. Records were also kept for the appropriate period of time and then destroyed securely.

We spoke with three people who used the service and five members of staff. One person told us, "It's very good, clean and friendly, and the staff seem to know what they are doing."

We found that there were suitable arrangements in place for gaining consent from people who used the service. We reviewed 10 care plans and saw that the records were reflective of the care and support provided to people. People were protected from receiving unsafe care because steps were in place to plan and deliver care to meet people's individual needs.

We found that medicines were not always handled safely and people who used the service were not protected against the risks associated with the unsafe use and management of medicines. This is because potentially harmful medicines were left unsupervised on open trays accessible to people, relatives and visitors to the ward.

The staff we spoke with told us that they were properly supported and received appropriate training. This meant that people who used the service were supported by competent staff. We found that the service had suitable monitoring systems in place and there was an effective complaints system.

A staff member we spoke with told us, "They do everything properly like we were taught to and I feel there is proper supervision. The patients are treated with dignity and respect, buzzers are answered quickly and the curtains are always pulled." This meant people's privacy and dignity was maintained.

People with whom we spoke told us that when they first arrived in the hospital they were provided with information about the ward and the care that they were to receive. Relatives of people with whom we spoke confirmed that they were consulted with about the care and treatment that their relative was to receive.

People with whom we spoke told us that they were happy with the care and support that they were receiving and that staff understood their needs well.

Visitors with whom we spoke were positive about the treatment and care provided by the staff and they felt able to approach staff with any concerns that they may have around the care provided to their relative and that these would be addressed promptly.

People with whom we spoke told us that they enjoyed the food and that they had a good choice of various meals including salads and ice cream. Two visitors stated that they were happy with the quality and choice of the meals provided and that staff offered assistance to people as required.

People told us that the hospital was always clean and that the staff worked hard to keep the ward clean. A visitor with whom we spoke reported that the ward was always clean and tidy and that if any issues were identified domestic staff responded in a prompt manner.