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.www.thameshospice.org.uk
Windsor Road, Maidenhead, SL6 2DN
Thames Hospice is a company limited by guarantee. Company No 5316964.Registered in England and Wales. Charity no 1108298. Registered address: As above.
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.
“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.”www.thameshospice.org.uk
Windsor Road, Maidenhead, SL6 2DN
Thames Hospice is a company limited by guarantee. Company No 5316964.Registered in England and Wales. Charity no 1108298. Registered address: As above.
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.
Read the latest CQC assessment report for Thames Hospice at
https://www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-9676860611
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About Thames Hospice
Proudly serving the community of East Berkshire and South Buckinghamshire since 1987, Thames
Hospice is an established healthcare charity providing complex, specialist palliative and end-of-life
care for people aged 16 and over living with a life-limiting condition, as well as support for their
families and carers.
Our vision is quality of life to the end of life, for everyone, and our purpose is to deliver
compassionate, personalised care that enables people to live with dignity, comfort and choice in
their preferred place of care.
Today, we serve a population of over 500,000 people. Our team of more than 385 employees,
supported by over 1,000 volunteers, delivers care across the Hospice and in patients’ homes. Last
year, 2614 people received care and support from Thames Hospice.
Demand for our services continues to grow, driven by an ageing population with increasingly
complex needs. We are committed to improving access to our services so that more people and
families can benefit from the care we provide, while maintaining high-quality, responsive support
delivered by our multidisciplinary teams.
Our services include Inpatient Services within our 28-bed inpatient centre, Hospice at Home
services delivered in partnership with local healthcare professionals, outpatient and wellbeing
services in our Paul Bevan Wellbeing Centre, and counselling, pastoral and bereavement support
for patients and families.
All our services are provided free of charge. However, unlike the NHS, we are not fully government
funded. We receive a contribution from NHS England and other statutory bodies but rely heavily on
the generosity of our local community through donations, fundraising, volunteering, and income
from our charity retail stores. Each day, we need to raise £44,000 to fund our services.
For more information about our work, to make a donation, access our services or join our team,
please visit www.thameshospice.org.uk
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