SERVICES

COUNTESS OF CHESTER AND CENTRE FOR ASSESSMENT SET A NEW BENCHMARK FOR NHS LEGAL TEAMS

One of the UK’s top NHS Foundation Trusts, Countess of Chester Hospital, has set a new benchmark for other hospitals across the country to follow.  In partnership with Centre for Assessment it has become the first legal department at a hospital to achieve Lexcel status.

Lexcel is a quality mark which is awarded by The Law Society to legal departments that have met its Practice Management Standards.  The standard is common in private law practices where businesses must stand out from the competition, but so far has seen only a small take up in the public services sector.  To achieve the standard, legal teams must be independently asssessed by approved companies such as Centre for Assessment. 

To gain official Lexcel status, legal service departments must meet and demonstrate the Law Society’s mandatory requirements which include superior management practices, a clear structure and consistent procedures.  Lexcel helps to reduce mistakes and risks, improve client care and create management efficiency.  In turn, excellence becomes standard rather than something to strive towards.

Stephen Cross, Solicitor and Foundation Trust Secretary at the Countess of Chester Hospital, said: “I came to Countess of Chester from a private legal practice which used the systems that Lexcel encourages.  The Hospital already excels in a number of areas, and I wanted the legal services team to be recognised as part of this success too. 

“I chose to implement this nationally recognised standard, which really does set us apart as a truly forward-thinking hospital to which others will look to as an example of best practice.  Lexcel has helped us to streamline our systems and provide even better case management services.  Patients and staff alike are already benefitting from these changes.”

Anne Milne, assessor at Centre for Assessment, said: “Lexcel assesses legal teams on different elements, from people management and customer satisfaction through to business planning systems and case management.  These elements are defined by The Law Society, so to meet them demonstrates that the team at Countess of Chester really is well organised, efficient and at the top of its game.

Cheryl Turbitt, Head of Legal Services said “Lexcel has an added benefit for our hospitals,  it is all about continual improvement.  We will be assessed every year to ensure we will continue to meet the Lexcel requirements.  It really is win-win and just a matter of time until more hospitals start to work towards it.”