Patients rate our hospital care

Patients have had their say on the care provided at Guy's and St Thomas' in a new national survey of hospital care. The national adult inpatient survey for 2020 found that patients at the Trust continue to feel positive about their care.

The results, published by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) yesterday [Tuesday 19 October], found that patients are confident and trust the doctors and nurses treating them and feel involved in decisions about their treatment and care.
 
The survey also shows that Guy's and St Thomas' is better at giving patients information about their medicines compared to other similar trusts, and at asking patients for feedback about the quality of their care.

Guy’s and St Thomas' is 'somewhat better' than other trusts for:

• the clarity of doctors' answers to questions
• involving patients in decisions about care and treatment
• involving patients in decisions about leaving hospital
• providing patients with information about what they should or should not do after leaving hospital

A sample of adult inpatients discharged from our hospitals in November 2020 gave feedback on their care. The survey asked people to give their opinions on the care they received, including quality of information and communication with staff, whether they were given enough privacy, the amount of support given to help them eat and drink, and on their discharge arrangements.

Avey Bhatia, Chief Nurse at Guy’s and St Thomas’, said: "Getting feedback from our patients on how we are doing, and hearing about their experiences with us, is always invaluable. Especially now, when the care we provide has had to change and adapt quickly due to the pandemic.

"It's heartening to see that despite the current challenges our patients feel that we continue to involve them in decisions about their treatment and care and about plans for when they leave our hospitals. We're also providing patients with the right sort of information to support their recovery and manage their medicines at home.

"We will continue to strive to improve our patients care and experience at the Trust. Our aim is always to provide the best possible care for our patients that we can."

The 2020 national adult inpatient survey was carried out before Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust’s merger with the Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals. Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals have reported their survey results separately.

The full results of the survey are available on the Care Quality Commission's website.