Patient experience at King’s Mill Hospital’s A&E unit unchanged despite pandemic

The Royal College of Emergency Medicine praised emergency departments across England for their work, as patient satisfaction rose nationally amid the pressures and challenges of Covid.

The 2020 urgent and emergency care survey received feedback from 41,000 patients across England who attended a type one service – accident and emergency units – last September.

The 275 patients surveyed at Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Trust – which runs King’s Mill – gave the trust an average score of 8.4 out of 10, the same as in 2018.

A third of patients nationally gave their overall experience a perfect score – up from 29 per cent in 2018.

NHS Providers said the survey highlighted patients’ concerns about pain management, emotional support and staff availability, but overall the results are positive.

Saffron Cordery, NHS Providers deputy chief executive, said: “This is testament to the dedication and professionalism of frontline staff who strive to deliver care in the most challenging of circumstances.”

Pride

Across England, 81 per cent of respondents said they were treated with respect and dignity in A&E all of the time – up from 79 per cent in 2018.

SFH received an average score of 8.9 out of 10 on this matter– down from 9.2 two years previously.

And patients gave it a mark of 9.3 for its cleanliness, above the national average of nine.

The RCEM said emergency departments are performing an ‘incredible job in difficult circumstances’, but noted there are areas for improvement.

Paul Robinson, SFH chief executive officer, said: “I am proud to see these results, which show us as being above the national average for overall experience, cleanliness and, most importantly, for treating our patients with respect and dignity.

“As the ‘front door’ of the hospital, our A&E colleagues are key in ensuring people receive the treatment they need and they operate in a high-pressure, high-takes environment, particularly during the pandemic.

“These results are a testament to their compassion, commitment and professional skills.”

“We want to keep up this level of service for those people with life and limb-threatening emergencies, so we ask the public to help us by only coming to A&E when they really need us and to use other excellent services, such as 111, GPs, urgent treatment centres and pharmacies, for less urgent medical issues.”

Support your Chad by becoming a digital subscriber. You will see 70 per cent fewer ads on stories, meaning faster load times and an overall enhanced user-experience. Click here to subscribe.