Top marks for Clatterbridge Cancer Centre and average for Arrowe Park in annual inpatient survey

May 2 2012 by Lorna Hughes, Bromborough and Bebington News

CLATTERBRIDGE Cancer Centre scored top marks in a national patient survey.

The inpatient survey for 2011, carried out by the Care Quality Commission, surveyed more than 70,000 people across the country about their stay in hospital.

They were asked up to 77 questions about 10 areas including quality, waiting times, cleanliness and staff.

Clatterbridge Cancer Centre – formerly Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology – scored the best marks in the country in 10 questions.

Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Arrowe Park and Clatterbridge hospitals, was ranked as average in all areas.

The trust said the survey showed a “generally improving picture”, particularly in patients’ trust and confidence in the nurses treating them and staff doing everything they could to control patients’ pain levels.

There was also an improvement from previous surveys in the area of patients being told how to take their medication in a way they could understand and in the provision of same sex accommodation.

Tina Long, Director of Nursing and Midwifery at the Trust said: “I am very pleased that the results reflect the hard work and commitment from our staff in providing good care to our patients.

‘‘The survey results show that we are doing the right thing for our patients and are continuing to make further improvements to the standard and quality of patient care.”

Helen Porter, director of Nursing & Quality at Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, said: “Since last year’s positive results, we have taken steps to make further service improvements and maintain a high standard of cleanliness and it is encouraging to see this reflected in this year’s results.”

Trusts were given a mark out of 10 for the areas covered by the survey and each question and told whether their results put them among the worst performing trusts in the country, the best or whether they were about the same as others.