Hospital rated in bottom 20 per cent by patients

The hospital was given the score in the Government’s new Friends and Family Test.
The scheme, launched in April, is based on information from patients who either stayed in hospital overnight or attended the accident and emergency department.
As part of the test, patients were asked various questions, including how they rated the service they were given.
They were given a choice of six responses to each question and each hospital was then given a score on a scale from minus 100 to 100.
The hospital, which recently went up to a 4.5 out of five star rating on the NHS Choices website and had a patient recommendation rate of 96 per cent in their in-house survey, scored a mixed bag.
The latest results for June placed it in the bottom 20 per cent of all the hospitals, including 4,500 NHS wards and 144 A&E services.
The results for the hospital’s wards varied from a high score for the Adelaide Ward, which treats patients with cancer, to a low score for Burghfield Ward, which treats acutely ill elderly patients.
Hospital spokesman Joe Wise said: “We are surprised at the results because we get a very high positive rating on NHS Choices and our own surveys which are ongoing.
“This result should not be taken in isolation – it needs to be considered with other survey results.
“But in no way are we being complacent; we are looking at it closely to see what we can learn and are always anxious to improve.”
The test has been introduced as part of the Government’s response to the mid-Stafford-shire inquiry.
NHS England’s national director for patients and information, Tim Kelsey, said: “This is the boldest move yet to promote real openness in the NHS and to concentrate our focus on improvement in care.
“Friends and Family Test is a major step forward for patients and for the quality of their care.
“It is important, however, this early data is treated carefully. Low response rates can have a dramatically disproportionate impact on scores.”