Patients views on NHS care reported

A survey of 69,000 NHS hospital inpatients, conducted by Picker on behalf of the Care Quality Commission (CQC), suggests there have been significant improvements in hospital cleanliness, mixed-sex accommodation and patient involvement in decision making. In 2009, 64% of patients rated their hospital room as “very clean”, up from 60% in 2008 and 56% in 2002. The Commission said this mirrored year-onyear improvements in all questions related to infection control, such as whether bathrooms were clean and if staff washed their hands. In 2009, the proportion of patients who reported sharing accommodation with the opposite sex fell significantly. For emergency patients, 21% said they initially stayed in mixed-sex accommodation, down from 29% in 2008. The proportion of people admitted from waiting lists to mixed-sex accommodation also decreased, from 10% in 2008 to 8% in 2009. All patients were asked how they felt about the time it took to get a bed on the ward from the time they first arrived at hospital. The majority (69%) did not feel they had to wait a long time, an improvement from 67% in 2002. However, the CQC said progress was disappointing in some important aspects of care and, in some cases, the experience of patients had got worse.

The survey showed significant room for improvement around the information given to people about medicines. The proportion of patients who said they were not given enough information about the purpose of medicine they were given to take home has steadily increased, from 7% in 2002 to 8% in 2008 and 9% in 2009. In 2009, 45% of patients said they had not been given enough information about potential side effects of medication, which also represents an increase on previous results The Commission further warned that the NHS must address the lack of help for patients to eat. Almost one in five patients (18%) said they did not get enough help to eat their meals if they needed it. Overall, 44% of people rated their care as “excellent”, 35% “very good”, 13% “good”, 5% “fair” and 2% “poor”. This shows improvement since 2002, when the figures were 38%, 36%, 17%, 7% and 2% respectively. Cynthia Bower, CQC’s chief executive, said: “The survey results have shown year-on-year improvements in many important aspects of hospital care. Infection control and mixed-sex accommodation have been a big concern for patients, so it’s encouraging to see the substantial improvements in these areas. “But there are also some persistent problems that the NHS is struggling to address. It is unacceptable that almost 50% of patients did not have the potential effects of medicine properly explained to them. I’m also concerned that some people who need help to eat are not getting enough assistance. These are fundamentals of care and it is time for the NHS to tackle these issues head-on.” NHS Trusts use the survey results to identify where improvements are needed and to track the experience of patients in hospital, while the CQC uses the survey results to monitor performance in the NHS. CQC analyses the survey results alongside a range of other information, such as findings from inspections, data on mortality and infection rates and intelligence from other organisations, to monitor compliance with the new essential standards of quality and safety and to help determine where further regulatory action is needed.

Cynthia Bower said: “We are using more and more information from patients to help identify where we need to focus our efforts as the regulator. Many of these questions relate to the registration standards and we will be using this information from patients when we assess and inspect Trusts. “We expect every NHS hospital Trust to pay close attention to their results and plan how they can improve the experience of hospital patients.” Commenting on the published results, Dr Peter Carter, chief executive and general secretary of the RCN, said: “Nurses will be heartened to learn that more than nine in ten patients are pleased with the care they receive in hospitals, with more patients than ever before rating care as ‘excellent’. “One of the key findings in this report shows more patients now rate hospitals as being clean than they did in the past. This is testament to the dedication of nurses and healthcare staff who have worked hard to drive down infection rates, improving the quality of care for all patients. “It is also encouraging that fewer patients are now being cared for in mixed-sex accommodation, highlighting the determination and efforts of healthcare staff to prioritise patient dignity. “However, the report also shows there is no room for complacency. It is deeply concerning to learn that more than 4 in 10 patients do not think there are always enough nurses on duty to care for them. As well as contributing significantly to patient satisfaction, it is well known that there is a direct correlation between the number of nurses and the rate of patient recovery. The Government must ensure there is the right number and balance of nursing staff working in both hospital and community settings to ensure patients receive the best possible care.” Below are some key highlights from the report: