Patient experience at Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals – deteriorating trust

Patient experience at the Epsom Hospital and St Helier University Hospital trusts worsened last year, according to new survey data.

Hospital regulator Care Quality Commission, which carried out the investigation, said the long-term deterioration in patient experience in NHS acute care cannot be ignored.

283 respondents at Epsom University Hospitals and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust gave their overall experience at the hospital in 2022 an average of 7.6 out of 10.

This is down from 8.4 out of 10 points in 2020, the last time the survey was conducted.

Nationally, 18% of respondents gave a score of 4 or less, with zero being a very bad experience. This is a significant increase from 8% two years ago.

The CQC previously said high call volumes and understaffing on NHS 111 were resulting in delays in receiving medical advice and more people going to A&E.

It added that due to a lack of GP and dental appointments, NHS 111 was not always able to send people there and people were asked to call 999 or go to A&E instead.

The survey also showed that the proportion of people who feel they are treated with respect and dignity in hospitals across England has fallen from 81% in 2020 to 72% last year.

Patients gave Epsom Hospital and St Helier University Hospitals Trust a score of 8.9 out of 10 on this issue, down from 9.1 in the previous survey..

Dr Adrian Boyle, President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said: “These results look at emergency medicine through the eyes of the patient and reflect the challenges that healthcare professionals in emergency medicine experience every day. “I am doing so,” he said.

“All clinicians want to provide the best care possible. No one wants their patients to have to wait a long time to receive treatment or for treatment to take place in a hallway or other non-privacy setting. I don’t want it.”

Dr Sean O’Kelly, CQC’s Chief Inspector for Healthcare, said staff were working hard in difficult circumstances.

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But he added: “We cannot ignore the long-term declines that have been shown in relation to issues such as waiting times, the information people are given when they go home, and access to pain medication and psychological support.” added.

Tpercentage of patients all of england Last year, 17% of people said they waited more than four hours to get a test in A&E, up from 4% in 2020.

At Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals Trust, patients scored 4.5 out of 10 for waiting times to be seen, down from 6.4 two years ago..

An NHS spokesperson said staff had shown significant improvement since the survey was carried out, with ambulance response times decreasing in June and an increase in the number of patients seen in A&E within four hours. He said he did.

She added: “This is despite unprecedented levels of demand, pressure on patient flows and industrial action.”

He also said the survey results showed how patients valued the “diligence and care of our staff.”