How are we doing?

An independent company surveys our patients about their hospital stay. We use the feedback to improve our services. One question asks people to give an overall rating of the care they received. The score is the percentage of people who described their care as ‘good’ or ‘very good’.

Patients are also asked if they would recommend the hospital to friends or family. The score is the percentage of people who said would ‘probably or definitely’ recommend the hospital.

Hand hygiene is the best way to stop germs from spreading. Staff should clean their hands before and after they treat each patient. Clean hands mean patients are much less likely to get an infection while they’re in hospital. We do regular ‘hand hygiene’ audits to check how often and how well our staff clean their hands.

When people are unwell they can be more likely to get an infection. Hospitals have a range of procedures to reduce the chance of this happening. We also monitor any cases of rare but serious infections like Staphylococcus Aureus Bacteraemia (also known as ‘golden staph’).

Anyone who needs to be in a bed or chair for a long time is at risk of developing of pressure injury. They are most common on bony parts of the body like the hip, tail bone, or heel. Hospitals use a range of approaches to prevent and treat pressure injuries.

Hospitals are unfamiliar places and patients may be weak, dizzy, or less steady than they expect. A fall in hospital can delay a patient’s recovery. In older people, it can contribute to a loss of independence. Hospitals use a range of strategies and tools to reduce the risk.

A serious fall can cause a brain injury or require surgery for a badly broken bone. While uncommon, in some cases it can lead to a patient’s death, especially in older people. It is important that hospitals thoroughly investigate what led to the fall so changes can be made.

Medicines are the most common healthcare treatment. Used correctly, they are an effective and important part of care. However, medication errors can cause harm and, in rare cases, death. We report and investigate these cases to help prevent future errors.