CQC finds that NHS inpatient satisfaction falls

The Care Quality Commission has released its latest annual survey of people who stayed as an inpatient in hospital, finding that NHS inpatient satisfaction has fallen for first time in six years.

The regulator reports that there has been no improvement for the majority fo questions posed since it was last carried out, with an increase found in those reporting lengthy delays, greater dissatisfaction with the amount of information provided when leaving hospital, and those who felt a lack of involvement in their care.

In fact, only 48 per cent of people surveyed rated their overall hospital inpatient experience as ‘nine or above’ out of ten, a drop from 50 per cent in 2017 and marking an end to the trend of year on year improvement previously seen for this question.

Other findings from the survey include: just 15 per cent of respondents said that they had been asked to give their views on the quality of care received during their stay, compared to 20 per cent in 2017; 39 per cent said they had to wait a long time before getting a bed; and, of the 41 per cent of people who said that their discharge from hospital was delayed, 26 per cent said they were delayed for longer than four hours.

Ted Baker, Chief Inspector of Hospitals said: “Most people continue to report positively about their interaction with staff, reflecting the significant efforts of healthcare professionals working tirelessly to meet increasing levels of demand in hospitals across the country.

“However, I am disappointed to see the overall lack of progress this year and that in some cases people are reporting poorer experiences, particularly around the quality of information when they were discharged and the integration of their care from different parts of the system. Last year’s survey showed a healthcare system still delivering improvements despite growing pressure. But this year, the improvement trend we have seen for the past six years has not been sustained.

“Staff are working incredibly hard, but it is clear we have reached a point where this alone is not enough. The mounting pressure on the system is having a direct impact on how people are experiencing inpatient care and the need for greater collaboration between local health and care services has never been more apparent.”