The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has published the results of its latest annual survey of hospital inpatients and it will come as little surprise to many that delays to elective care stand out as among the biggest bugbears for patients.
The survey reveals that patient satisfaction levels are largely unchanged since 2022 but remain significantly worse than pre-pandemic. They also highlight continued frustration with waiting times and an increase in the number of people who felt their health worsened while waiting to be admitted for elective care.
The 2023 adult inpatient survey captures the views and experience of more than 63,500 people who stayed in one of 131 acute and specialist NHS Trusts in England for at least one night during November last year. It has been carried out annually since 2002 and is the longest running survey in CQC’s NHS Patient Survey Programme.
The survey asked patients for their opinions on the care received, including quality of information and communication with staff, whether they had enough privacy, the amount of support given to help them eat and drink, and on their discharge arrangements.
Among the findings:
• 42% of respondents in hospital for elective care would have liked to be admitted earlier (39% in 2022)
• 43% said their health had deteriorated whilst waiting to be admitted (41% in 2022)
• 70% reported ‘always’ getting help to wash or keep themselves clean (unchanged from 2022 but down from 75% in 2020)
• 64% of those who needed help from staff to eat their meals ‘always’ received that help (65% in 2022 and 69% in 2020)
• 75% said they ‘always’ felt included by doctors in conversations about their care (74% in 2022)
• 82% said they were ‘always’ treated with dignity and respect by hospital staff (unchanged from 2022)
• 78% said that they were given the right amount of information about their care and treatment
• 90% felt they were able to talk to hospital staff about their worries and fears.
Satisfaction with staffing levels also showed some slight improvement in 2023, but still remained below pre-Covid levels. When asked to rate their overall inpatient experience, just over half (51%) gave a score of nine or higher out of ten – compared to 50% in 2022.
Responses to the 2023 survey show that people admitted for emergency care, those who were considered frail, and those with Dementia, Alzheimer’s or a condition affecting their mobility all reported poorer than average experiences for most questions analysed. In contrast, older people, people who were in hospital for an elective admission, and those who stayed in hospital for only one night were generally more positive about their care.
As well as a report of the national findings, CQC has published the results for each of the 131 individual Trusts that took part, and a report identifying those Trusts that have performed better or worse across the survey overall, so that people can see how their local services performed.
Nicola Wise, CQC’s Director of Secondary and Specialist Healthcare, admits it’s disappointing that the survey didn’t reveal more improvement in the patient experience, however, it is encouraging that the majority of respondents were positive about their interactions with staff. “We know that staff and leaders are doing all they can to minimise delays, manage the flow of patients from admission through to discharge and provide compassionate person-centred care,” she says. “But as pressures persist, ensuring the best possible experience throughout the entirety of the patient journey is a task that needs input from all parts of the health and care system. It also needs to be supported by continued efforts to address staff shortages, improve retention of our highly skilled workforce and ensure recognition of the commitment and dedication from frontline staff.”
