Patients continue to rate Derriford’s Emergency Department

Patients rate their overall experience of Derriford’s Emergency Department as “good”, a national survey has revealed.

In a survey by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) published today, Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust’s Emergency Department (referred to as Accident & Emergency in this survey) has scored well, with over eight out of ten patients feeling they had an overall “good experience”.

In particular, of the 387 responses the CQC received regarding Derriford Hospital (a 31% response rate), an average nine out of ten patients (or higher) felt that the doctor or nurse listened to what they had to say; that the doctor or nurse was sensitive to their feelings; and that they had confidence and trust in the doctors and nurses examining and treating them.

In comparison to the other 136 NHS Trusts across England, Derriford Hospital scored well on most questions, but in particular the Trust was rated 5th highest with regards to the provision of information upon discharge about potential medication side effects.

Greg Dix, Chief Nurse and Operating Officer, said: “It’s really important that our patients feel they have been made fully aware of important symptoms to look out for, when they are discharged.

“According to the CQC report, just over half of people across the UK feel they aren’t getting enough information. But here at Derriford, it’s clear that our patients feel that they are leaving the Emergency Department well informed”.

Jayne Glynn, Patient Experience Manager, added: “The results show that we compare favourably with other Emergency Departments. This translates into better care for our patients, which is what we are striving to achieve.

“The survey correlates with recent results from the Friends and Family test, where 95% of those surveyed said they would recommend the Emergency Department to friends or family needing emergency treatment.

“Demand for our services has increased dramatically this year, yet the patients are still rating us well. This is clearly a tribute to the hard work of all our staff under often challenging circumstances.”

You can read the full CQC report online here.