Thames Hospice rated OUTSTANDING following CQC inspection

Thames Hospice has been rated Outstanding following its latest inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), recognising the exceptional specialist care, compassion and support provided to patients and families across the community it has proudly served for almost 40 years.

The inspection, which took place in January 2026, assessed every aspect of Thames Hospice’s services, including Hospice at Home, inpatient care, outpatient services and counselling support for patients and their loved ones.

The CQC highlighted Thames Hospice’s commitment to delivering personalised specialist palliative and end-of-life care, supported by highly skilled teams, strong partnership working and a culture focused on improving outcomes for patients and families.

Thames Hospice was rated Outstanding for Caring and Responsive. Inspectors found that teams provide compassionate, individualised support while ensuring services are flexible, accessible and centred around what matters most to patients and those closest to them.

The report highlighted the Hospice’s kind and caring workforce, strong multidisciplinary approach and effective partnership working, adding how colleagues and volunteers work together to provide compassionate and well-coordinated care.

"The service demonstrated a kind and caring workforce, underpinned by a team of dedicated and passionate staff. There was a strong collaborative approach to the care, within the service and through effective partnership working, ensuring people received compassionate and well- co-ordinated care."

The CQC also recognised Thames Hospice’s commitment to supporting people to live as well as possible, wherever they choose to receive care. The report highlighted the strength of the Hospice’s multidisciplinary teams, including the way different professionals work together to meet people’s physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs.

The report also praised the Hospice’s role in working alongside NHS partners, GPs, care homes and other organisations to improve care across the wider health and social care system, including sharing specialist knowledge and supporting advance care planning.

Katharine Horler OBE, Chair of Thames Hospice, said:

“We are incredibly proud that Thames Hospice has been rated Outstanding following its latest inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

“On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I want to thank every member of staff, every volunteer and the Executive Team for the dedication, compassion and professionalism they bring to Thames Hospice every day. I would also like to thank our Chief Executive, Dr Rachael de Caux, whose leadership has helped guide the organisation through this inspection and has been instrumental in achieving this Outstanding rating.

“This achievement reflects the collective commitment of everyone across Thames Hospice to providing exceptional specialist care and support for patients, families and our community.

“The report is independent recognition of the difference our people make every day. We are immensely proud of this achievement and excited about the future. Building on this strong foundation, we will continue to innovate, strengthen our partnerships and ensure even more people can benefit from the outstanding care and support we provide.”

Dr Rachael de Caux, Chief Executive of Thames Hospice, added:

“This Outstanding rating is a testament to the quality of care and support we strive to provide for our patients and families every day.

"It is the result of the dedication, compassion, clinical expertise and teamwork of everyone across our organisation. From our specialist clinical teams providing complex palliative and end-of-life care, to colleagues and volunteers supporting services across the Hospice, in our retail shops and throughout our community, every person plays an important part in making a difference."

“The CQC’s findings reflect the high standards we work hard to maintain; care that is personalised, compassionate and focused on helping people live as well as possible. To have this recognised through an independent inspection is a wonderful achievement and something everyone at Thames Hospice feels incredibly proud of. I would like to offer particular thanks to our Registered Manager, Loren Selby, who leads our clinical services with an inspirational passion for delivery of high-quality patient care.

“This achievement belongs to our whole Thames Hospice community. It gives us a strong foundation as we continue to develop our services, extend our reach and ensure more people and their families can access the specialist care and support they need.”

Barbara Rees, who is currently receiving care at Thames Hospice, said:

"My care has been beyond anything I could have expected. When I came here, I was literally at death's door. I thought I had less than a week to live, but they changed everything. They've given me an extra little bit of life that I didn't think I'd have, and now I'm going home for a while. Every single one of them, without exception, is amazing. I've felt completely confident in their care."

This care is only possible because of the extraordinary generosity of the community. Supported by more than 1,000 volunteers and the generosity of thousands of supporters, and with just 28% of its funding provided by the NHS, Thames Hospice relies on its community to help ensure local families can continue to access outstanding hospice care whenever they need it.

As Thames Hospice looks ahead to celebrating 40 years of caring for its community in 2027, this Outstanding rating stands as independent recognition of the dedication, expertise and compassion that have been at the heart of the organisation since it was founded.