Media Release
Date: 22 November 2024
RUH Emergency Department praised by patients
The Emergency Department at the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust has been singled out for praise by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), after a significant proportion of patients interviewed in a major survey answered positively to questions about their care.
Prior to publishing their report, the CQC wrote to the RUH to congratulate the Emergency Department for performing ‘better than expected’ for Emergency Department services in the 2024 Urgent and Emergency Care Survey.
The CQC, the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England, said the proportion of respondents who answered positively to questions about their care in the department was significantly above the national trust average.
The national survey targeted Trusts which had either an Emergency Department, Urgent Treatment Centre, or both. It looks at the experiences of people who visited the RUH’s Emergency Department between 1 January and 29 February 2024.
Areas that patients said the Emergency Department performed well included:
- Treating patients with dignity and respect
- Having enough time to discuss their condition and treatment with medical staff
- Clearly explaining why tests might be needed, and the results of the tests
- Helping with patients’ communication needs
- Doctors and nurses listening to what patients had to say
- The level of privacy provided when talking to reception staff
Toni Lynch, Chief Nursing Officer, said: “These are very positive results, and they are testament to the commitment and hard work of everyone in our Emergency Department, who go above and beyond every day for the people we care for and the people we work with.
“It was particularly pleasing to see that patients felt they were treated with dignity and respect, which reflects our Trust values and aligns to the feedback in the RUH CQC Adult Inpatient Survey.
“We are committed to communicating well, listening and acting on what matters most to our patients, whilst consistently delivering the highest quality care and outcomes.
“Whilst these results are fantastic news, we are not complacent and will continue to strive to further improve the experience of the people we care for.”
You can find the full survey results on the CQC’s website – Urgent and emergency care survey 2024 - Care Quality Commission