The Care Quality Commission has published the results of its latest annual adult inpatient survey based on a sample of patients who were in hospital for at least one night during June, July or August 2014.
South Devon Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Torbay Hospital, has performed well again this year in the survey across a wide range of measures covering each stage of the adult inpatient’s journey from waiting list through to care on a ward and then discharge home from the hospital.
The area in which the Trust scored highest was on the information given to patients about operations and surgical procedures, including answers to questions about the potential risks and benefits, what would happen during the procedure and how they would feel afterwards.
The patients surveyed also scored the Trust highly for respect and dignity, cleanliness of wards and bathrooms, choice and quality of food, nurses answering important questions clearly, being involved in discharge decisions and giving information to family and friends on discharge.
Patients were asked a series of 70 questions on their experience of care and treatment at the Hospital, and CQC received a total of 479 responses for the Trust, which is a 58 per cent response rate. CQC grouped the answers to the 70 questions into 11 sections which were scored as green (better than most Trusts), amber (the same as most Trusts), or red (worse than most Trusts). The Hospital scored green or amber in all of the sections.
The areas for improvement highlighted in the survey related to privacy in A&E when being examined, waiting time to get a bed on a ward, noise at night, availability of hand-wash gels and amount of information given on the patient’s condition and treatment.
Chief Executive of South Devon Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Mairead McAlinden said: “I would like to take this opportunity to recognise the commitment of staff here at Torbay Hospital in delivering these very positive results. They clearly show that we are achieving high standards of care and treatment, in a way that is respectful and maintains the dignity of our patients and involving them in decisions about their care.
“However we are committed to tackling those areas where our patients tell us we need to improve, and we will listen to the messages from this important survey. Through feedback from our own engagement with people who use our services we have recognised and are actively working to improve those areas identified in this survey and we are already seeing improvements.”
