PATIENTS being treated by the Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have trust in the nurses and doctors treating them, a survey has revealed.

In the annual Care Quality Commission (CQC) survey of inpatients, the trust which runs hospitals in Andover, Basingstoke and Winchester, scored 9.2 out of 10 when patients were asked if they had confidence and trust in both the doctors and nurses treating them during their stay.

Patients also rated the trust 9.2 out of 10 when asked whether they felt they were treated with dignity and respect while in hospital.

The trust scored highly on a range of questions, including regarding the cleanliness of the ward or bay, with a score of 9 out of 10.

Although the trust scored highly in some areas of the survey, other areas have decreased and even seen significant drops. Patients were asked if they thought there were enough nurses on duty to aid in care during their stay, with a score of 7.6 out of 10, a drop from 8.1 compared to the trust score in 2020.

The drop in score was most notable when patients were asked about their experience when leaving the trust at the end of their stays. The trust scored 7.1 out of 10 when patients were asked if their family or home situation had been accounted for when leaving hospital (a drop from 7.6 in 2020) and a score of 4.6 out of 10 when patients were asked if they were given medicine by the trust for them to take at home (after a score of 5.2 out of 10 in 2020).

Despite this, the overall experience of the patients surveyed scored 8.2 out of 10 across the Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Alex Whitfield, chief executive of Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “We really value every piece of feedback we receive so that we can hear first-hand the things we are doing well, and where we can improve. I would like to thank our patients for taking the time to respond to this survey.

“It’s wonderful to hear that despite often difficult circumstances, our brilliant staff are providing high-quality care - from the amazing doctors and nurses who are trusted by our patients, to our dedicated teams who keep our hospitals clean. 

“We will look carefully at areas where scores are lower and identify how we can continue to improve our services for patients in the future.”   

The trust made significant improvements in reducing noise at night, and ensuring patients were provided with information about what to do after leaving hospital.  

Ms Whitfield added: “It is wonderful to see our hard work in some areas paying off, resulting in higher scores this year. The work doesn’t stop there – and we are taking this survey as an opportunity to renew our focus particularly on communicating with patients about hospital moves, and the medications they need to take home with them.”  

Patients were eligible for the 2021 Inpatient survey if they were aged 16 years or older and had at least one overnight stay within the trust during November 2021. The trust received feedback from 40 per cent of eligible adults who were invited to participate in the survey.