Gateshead patients praise the Trust’s staff, communication and facilities, as well as feeling that they are treated with dignity and respect.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) undertakes an annual survey of people who use urgent and emergency care services. The results of the 2022 survey were released today. More than 270 patients of Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust responded to the survey, giving it a higher score than the majority of trusts in three key areas related to the cleanliness of the A&E department, help with communication while in the hospital and understanding who they could contact for further advice after leaving the site.
Overall, the survey gathered the opinions of 29,357 patients across 122 NHS trusts with a major, consultant-led accident and emergency (A&E) department, including the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Gateshead. Any patient aged 16 years or older who had visited A&E during September 2022 was eligible to complete the survey.
The Trust also scored well on a range of questions assessing how well staff listened to what patients had to say and the extent to which they experienced privacy, dignity and respect during their time in A&E.
Neil Halford, Medical Director of Operations and Consultant in Emergency Medicine from Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust said:
“We’re pleased with the results of the CQC’s survey that comes at a time when the Emergency Department remains under significant pressure to meet the needs of the community that it serves. I was particular pleased to see that our approach to caring for patients and how we communicate with our service users was found to be positively rated by those that responded to the survey. Ensuring dignity and respect for all is very much the ethos of the Department and the wider Trust. Our urgent and emergency care staff continue to work incredibly hard, and I am delighted to see their efforts recognised in this way.”
The three questions where Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust scored better than other trusts are:
- While you were in A&E, did staff help you with your communication needs?
- In your opinion, how clean was the A&E department?
- Did hospital staff tell you who to contact if you were worried about your condition or treatment after you left A&E?
Other questions the Trust scored well on are:
- Did the doctors and nurses listen to what you had to say?
- Did doctors or nurses talk to each other about you as if you weren’t there?
- Were you given enough privacy when being examined or treated?
- If you had any tests, did a member of staff explain why you needed them in a way you could understand?
- While you were in A&E, did you feel threatened by other patients or visitors?
- Did a member of staff explain the purpose of the medications you were to take at home in a way you could understand?
- Overall, did you feel you were treated with respect and dignity while you were in A&E?
The CQC and NHS England use results from the survey to build an understanding of the quality of services available across an area. Listening to patients’ experiences plays a crucial part in delivering services that are safe, effective and continuously improving. Individual trusts can also use the survey to guide and inform their own improvement activities.