During just one year at our hospitals, we see and treat more than 539,000 people in our outpatient departments.
Ensuring each and every one is treated with respect, dignity and compassion, and making sure that their appointment is as positive as it can be, is a vital part of the service we provide.
The results of the national Care Quality Commission (CQC) outpatient survey 2011 were published on 14 February 2012 and include some very positive findings for NHS as a whole, as well as for our hospitals.
National results
Nationally, more than 72,000 patients took part in the survey, which is seen as a barometer for the quality of care the NHS provides to outpatients.
The overall picture for the NHS was very positive with 84% of patients rating their care as 'excellent' or 'very good' (up from 81%). There was also a 5% increase in the number of patients who said they were seen on time or early for their appointment (24%).
To view the national results, visit www.cqc.org.uk/outpatientsurvey2011.
Our results
Of the 409 patients who completed the survey for our hospitals:
-
90% say care is 'excellent', 'very good' or 'good';
-
86% said that they were treated with respect and dignity at all times whilst in the outpatients department;
-
79% of respondents were 'definitely' given enough privacy when discussing their condition or treatment;
-
79% 'definitely' had confidence and trust in the doctor examining and treating them.
The results also show that our outpatient departments are performing at a similar level to other hospitals across the country, scoring 'about the same' as other trusts in all of the nine sections of the survey.
Our full report is available to download below. An interactive guide to our results is also available on the CQC website.
Other local trusts
As a Trust, we scored nine 'about the same' ratings when compared to trusts nationally (on a scale of 'worse', 'about the same' and 'better').
Our local trusts scored:
| |
Worse |
About the
same
|
Better |
| Ashford and St Peter's |
0 |
9 |
0 |
| Croydon |
4 |
5 |
0 |
| Epsom and St Helier |
0 |
9 |
0 |
| Kingston |
1 |
8 |
0 |
| Royal Surrey |
1 |
8 |
0 |
| St George's |
2 |
7 |
0 |
The full results for each trust can be downloaded from the CQC website.
Our next steps
Whilst the survey shows we are holding our own when compared to other trusts, we recognise that there is room for improvement.
As such, we are hosting a series of workshops with doctors, nurses and other staff from across our hospitals to identify and implements ways in which we can improve those areas where we could do better and build on those which are a success.
An action plan will be prepared and will be agreed by our Trust Board.
