19.09.13
Results of patient inspections of hospitals published
The Health and Social Care Information Centre has published the results of a major survey of NHS settings conducted by staff and the public.
The Patient-Led Assessments of the Care Environment (PLACE) looked into hospitals’ cleanliness and attractiveness, car parks, patient privacy and food.
The national average scores were:
- Cleanliness of wards, including bathrooms, furniture, fixtures and fittings: 96%
- Condition, appearance and maintenance of sites, including decoration, signage, linen and car-park access: 89%
- Patients’ privacy, dignity and wellbeing, including their changing and waiting facilities, appropriate separation of single sex facilities, telephone access and appropriate patient clothing: 89%
- Patients’ food and hydration (including assessment of choice, taste, temperature and availability over 24 hours): 85%
Participation in the scheme’s first year was voluntary, but every NHS-commissioned building that takes patients for overnight stays took part.
Neil Churchill, director for patient experience at NHS England, said: “NHS England is determined to place patients at the heart of everything the NHS does, and PLACE is a further shift towards patient power. The condition and cleanliness of wards has a huge effect on how comfortable, relaxed and confident patients feel, which in turn affects how quickly they recover.
“Local people leading these inspections ensure independent, fresh pairs of eyes checking out our hospital wards, really making clear to senior managers how their patients feel when receiving care. Patients were keen to get involved, and more than a quarter of hospitals had more volunteers than they needed.
“National publication of the results is also another step forward in our mission to be completely transparent about everything the NHS does, and I would urge everyone to take a look at the assessments, alongside the increasing volume of other information we are publishing about hospitals’ safety and quality. We want hospitals to study and act on the data, and patients to look at the information when making choices about their care.”
The full results are available here.
Tell us what you think – have your say below or email [email protected]