Teams of patients, volunteers and staff also visited more wards compared to any other Trust in the UK, as part of the first ever Patient-Led Assessments of the Care Environment (PLACE) audits.
The inspections focus on the things that matter most to patients - being treated in a clean, safe environment, tasty nutritious food, and high standards of privacy and dignity.
Forty patient representatives participated in the inspections, which took place over two days in June this year. Small teams of three or four, including a member of staff, visited 32 out of 50 wards at CUH. The voluntary programme of annual inspections launched earlier this year asks Trusts to organise visits to a minimum of 25 per cent of their hospitals. Ten children from ACTIVE (the Children and Young People’s Board) also took part in inspecting children’s ward facilities.
Patients visiting the wards at CUH found:
- The food was generally good although some suggestions were made in terms of consistency and training of staff, which has now been addressed
- Patients were very positive about the level of cleanliness within the hospital
- In terms of privacy, dignity and wellbeing, patients raised concerns about confidentiality at reception desks and in bed bays but they came up with good ideas to make improvements which will be incorporated when funding allows
- Most patients thought the hospital appeared to be well-maintained.
Maureen Hart, 79 years old, a former primary school teacher from Cambridge who has been a patient at CUH, said:
"I have been involved with the Trust for a number of years including that as a Governor and I think these inspections are important as they can show an understanding of the care given, the service delivered and the environment through the patient's eyes. The staff are wonderful and we haven't found any problems with care. From time to time we have picked up on some small issues that can make a big difference to patients.
"For example, on an inspection in June we noticed a handrail where the end had been damaged and this meant it stuck out a little. To most people and patients this is very minor, but we knew that older people could hurt themselves on it if they didn't see it clearly. The staff listened and fixed it, which showed me that our comments mattered. We watched the food being served and tasted what was on offer, making sure it was hot and that all of the patients received their food as requested and that it tasted good too!
"I've found it fascinating to be involved with the trust. When I first applied to be part of this inspection group I wasn't sure if anything would come of it, but patient representatives have a real role to play and being involved means that you as a patient can make a difference."
Geoff Bennet, 66, from Sudbury, Suffolk, is another patient who was involved in the inspections. He had a kidney transplant at Addenbrooke’s eight years ago. Geoff said: “When I walked onto C7, the transplant ward, I felt very safe. There was the same atmosphere of calm competence I remember from my time in the previous unit. This, though, is a quantum leap forward. It was designed for transplant patients.
"I was also impressed by the cleanliness and, particularly, by the food. I remember meals as being indifferent at best. Those I sampled were very good. I was amazed that omelettes could be trollied on to wards and still taste fresh.
"The staff were upbeat and, I believe, welcomed the inspection because we were all former patients who saw the wards with fresh eyes and an entirely different perspective from the clinicians.
"I'm sure the inspections will help the hospital improve standards of patient comfort and confidence in their surroundings.”
Dr Keith McNeil, chief executive of CUH, said: “We are very pleased that we had so many patients involved in telling us what they think of hospitals. Being open and transparent is really important to us because and we really value their feedback so we can make improvements to the environments patients are cared for in.
“The kind of things that patients care about, like locks on bathroom doors or clean linen, are not a surprise or difficult to fix but the feedback does mean we can focus on getting these right first. The success of these inspections shows how patients and staff can work together to ensure we offer safe, high quality and sustainable care.”
Detailed results of the first inspections were published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre yesterday (Weds).
Hospitals receive a rating on each area at the end of their inspection, and the results are published online here. Hospitals are also required to publish what they will do in response to the results.
Results for CUH:
Cleanliness: 96.33% - above average
Food: 82.61% - slightly lower than average
Privacy dignity and well being: 89.62% - above average
Condition appearance and maintenance: 91.73% - above average
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For further information, please contact Adrian Ient, Media Relations Manager
Communications Department, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0QQ
Tel: 01223 274433 Email: Adrian.ient@addenbrookes.nhs.uk
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