PATIENT and family experience at the Countess of Chester Hospital is improving, according to the latest survey results published by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

The care watchdog published results on the Liverpool Road hospital's new vision to enhance patient and family experience, and said it is delivering improvements in care quality at the Emergency Department (A&E) at the hospital. 

The CQC survey, conducted in February and March 2024, gathered feedback from more than 400 patients about their experiences of emergency care at the hospital with the findings highlighting significant progress in key areas.

This include 94 per cent of patients reporting more confidence in doctors and nurse; 30 per cent more patients able to access food and drink in A&E; 17 per cent more patients felt help was accessible from staff and improvements in communication over waiting times. 

Sue Pemberton, deputy chief executive and director of nursing and quality said she and her staff were delighted as the Trust received some of the highest scores in the region.

She said: “We are absolutely committed to ensuring our services meet the needs and expectations of our patients.

“These survey results show that our new vision for patient and family experience is helping us make real, sustained changes that improve and enhance the care we provide.

“The results not only highlight where we’re doing well and also help us to plan our ongoing improvement work so we continue to improve for our patients.

“I want to thank every patient who took the time to complete the survey – your feedback is invaluable in helping us shape better services.”

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She added that that the results ‘demonstrate the success of the newly implemented six-step patient experience vision’, which has been developed by frontline A&E staff to enhance care, compassion, and quality.

A spokesman added: “The latest survey results provide a clear outline for improvements which the NHS Trust will use as the basis for its ongoing commitment to improvement.”

 Meanwhile, the survey also reflected positive developments at the Urgent Treatment Centre, which plays a key role in managing urgent and emergency healthcare needs.

Patients reported shorter waiting times, improved communication and improvement in patient privacy.  

The spokesman added: “All patients are encouraged to complete the Trust’s Friends and Family test after receiving care and to provide feedback and comments – whether positive or not to identify where it needs to improve further.

“Patients and loved ones can provide feedback via cochpals@nhs.net

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