Key Summary
- There has been some improvement in areas relating to interactions with hospital staff and patients
- Waiting lists and discharge information continue to be areas of concern
- The delay in hospital admissions remains an issue and many said it had led to a deterioration of their health
The 2024 edition of Care Quality Commission (CQC) report has stated that the NHS inpatient experience has improved, but it is yet to reach the pre-pandemic standards.
The report was compiled after considering the views of around 62,000 people who had stayed in one of the 131 acute and specialist NHS trusts in England.
Of the 36 questions, 17 show statistically significant improvement over 2023, 17 remain stable, and 2 show statistically significant decline.
There has been some improvement in areas related to interactions with hospital staff and patients, compared to the 2023 results.
This includes patients feeling they were treated with respect, dignity, kindness, and compassion, feeling included in conversations and involved in decisions about their care and treatment, as well as having confidence and trust in the hospital staff treating them.
However, waiting lists and discharge information continue to be areas of concern. It was more acute in case of people with a disability and those who were considered frail.
Also, people admitted in emergencies, or those with dementia, Alzheimer’s or other long-term conditions, reported much worse hospital experiences than average.
The delay in hospital admissions remains an area of concern, and 42 percent said it had led to a deterioration of their health.
Responses about information and support provided at discharge were also less positive, with 19.9 per cent claiming that the hospital staff did not discuss whether they would need any additional equipment or changes to their home after leaving the hospital.
“That feedback is a testament to the efforts of frontline healthcare professionals working tirelessly to provide high-quality care to those that need it,” said Dr Toli Onon, CQC chief inspector of hospitals.
“Results relating to the availability of staff and people receiving help when they needed it, show encouraging improvements since 2023, and that is great to see.”
She added, “However, the lack of progress in areas such as discharge arrangements and in people feeling they received enough information – particularly when leaving the hospital – is disappointing.”
“The latest NHS performance figures indicate an improvement against the 18-week target – but overall, waiting lists remain stubbornly high.”
