CQC Adult Inpatient Survey results are in
The results of the annual CQC survey of patients staying overnight in hospital has scored care at Croydon University Hospital as 9 out of 10 for respect and dignity. The national survey also showed an increase in overall patient experience, with the hospital being scored 7.8 out of 10, with more improvements still to be made.
More than 1,250 patients were invited to take part in the survey, with 350 of respondents rating their overall experience as 7.8/10. This showed a steady improvement from the Trust’s score of 7.7 in the previous year (2021), however, the survey also highlighted where patients felt more improvements could be made.
Fewer patients said they didn’t mind waiting as long as they did for admission, scoring the hospital 7.7 out of 10. This was a sharp decline on the previous year’s figure of 8.0 (2021) but placed the Trust better than the 7.2 average. But with more patients saying waits are a concern there is room for improvements with concerted efforts continuing across the Trust to reduce delays and improve the experience of being discharged from hospital after an inpatient stay.
Fewer patients said they knew who to contact if they were worried after leaving hospital, scoring 6.6, putting us well below the average of 7. 5 and 4 points behind our previous score of 6.0 (2021).
Whilst many patients felt they were given information on what they should and shouldn’t do after hospital (an increase of 1.4 to 8.2 in 2022), an overall score of 8.5 was given, that said they understood the information given to them. This fell by 3 points - below our previous score in 2021 (8.8) and slightly below the average (8.9).
Involving patients in their care
When asked if staff explained the reasons for a ward move, our patients gave a score of 6.7 out of 10, and this showed an improvement from 5.8 (2021) and in line with the national average. Many patients also said they were given information about their medicine at discharge (5.2) - an increase from last year (4.4).
Crucially, more patients felt involved in decisions about their care and treatment, scoring the Trust at 6.7, an increase from last year’s score of 6.4. A further score of 8.3 was given to show that many patients felt that their doctors included them in conversations, up from 2021 at 8.0 and slightly below the average of 8.6 score.
Patients also said they felt able to take their own medication whenever they needed, scoring us above the average (8.1) at 8 out of 10.
Safe staffing levels
When asked if there were mostly enough nurses on duty, we received a score of 7.1, taking us slightly above our previous score of 7.0 showing slow improvements, and putting us in line with the average in the country.
Overall, more patients had confidence in the doctors and nurses treating them – showing a 0.5 improvement for confidence in our nurses compared to 2021, whilst our doctors remained high at 9.1 out of 10 – up 0.2 points on the previous year.
Commenting on the findings, Trust CEO and place-based leader Matthew Kershaw said:
“I am incredibly proud of our staff in Croydon, and it’s great to see all the hard work being done reflected in some of the survey scores, with more patients being treated with respect and dignity and better-than-average confidence levels in our clinical teams – but we must work harder still to make further improvements. Many patients are waiting longer than we would like for hospital admission, showing the pressures on our services which we know has been impacted more so by the current industrial action. However it’s important that we get some basic right, like patients being able to get food outside mealtimes when in hospital.”
“As we move forward, our focus remains on prioritising the care and comfort of our patients whilst we treat and care for them, and we are dedicated to making waves in improvements to ensure everyone receiving care is provided with an excellent service.”
In total, 30% of patients invited to take part completed the survey. The full survey results can be found here Adult Inpatient Survey Results