13 January 2009
Patients rate highly the care they receive in the A&E department at the Northern General Hospital, with 86% rating it as “excellent”, “very good” or “good”, according to a national survey published today (Wednesday 14 January 2009) by the Healthcare Commission.
Hospital patients in Sheffield also say they are waiting less time for emergency treatment with less than 2% of patients reporting that they waited more than four hours to be examined by a doctor. 94% of patients said they waited less than four hours or were seen immediately.
The Commission’s survey carried out in 151 Trusts across the UK included responses from just under 50,000 patients over age 16 who had visited an A&E or emergency department between January and March 2008.
Other areas in which the Northern General’s A&E department rated above or the same as the national average were:
Hilary Scholefield, Chief Nurse at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust welcomed the survey results but said the Trust was not complacent and would be looking at what other improvements they could make.
"We are pleased that patients have recognised the hard work of staff to provide a good emergency service and that the high quality of our doctors and nurses is reflected in patients confidence of the care they receive, however the survey shows that patients want more to be done in terms of the environment they are treated in and pain relief. The A&E department at the Northern General Hospital was improved last year by being expanded and refurbished.
"The new department is far more pleasant and the additional treatment cubicles, and improved waiting areas enable us to respect patient's privacy and dignity better too. In terms of pain relief we are working with patient groups to see if there is anything more we can do to help in this area, although in some cases, it is not advisable to give patients medication to take away all of their pain immediately as this may impact upon other treatment they may need to receive."
Over 850 patients who used the A&E department at the Northern General Hospital were asked their views during the survey which was undertaken by the Healthcare Commission in the spring 2008.