A&E care improves but better pain control needed
New report reveals patients are pleased with care they receive in A&E
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Wednesday, 14, Jan 2009 09:15
A new report has revealed patients are pleased with the care they receive in NHS A&E departments but feel they could receive better pain control.
A survey published today by the Healthcare Commission found that 88 per cent of patients rated the care they received in A&E as "excellent", "very good" or "good" and the majority of respondents were also pleased with the personal attention they were given by medical staff.
But while ambulance staff also came in for praise and wait times look to be improving, a significant proportion of patients (27 per cent) felt staff did not too everything they could to control the patient's pain.
Furthermore, only a third (37 per cent) of patients felt they were given a full explanation of the possible side-effects of their medication when leaving the hospital.
Other areas for concern include the cleanliness of hospitals - less than half of respondents rating A&E departments as "very clean" - and the privacy given to new patients discussing their conditions.
Anna Walker, chief executive of the Healthcare Commission, said the positivity of patients about care by ambulance staff and in A&E was "good to see".
"These achievements come against a backdrop of significant rises in demand for A&E services," she went on.
"But patients have raised important issues about staff helping to control pain, the information patients are given on discharge, privacy when they book in at reception and access to help when needed."
She called on care trusts across the country to compare their results with each other and strive to reach high standards.
"Understanding and responding to experiences of patients is critical in a modern NHS."
The survey 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 and was coordinated for the commission by the Picker Institute and carried out by 151 hospital trusts.
The full results can be seen on the commission's website.