The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital (RJAH) has again been singled out as one of the very best in the country in a major national survey published this week.
Patient feedback has seen the organisation named as one of just eight providers producing results “much better than expected” in the annual Adult Inpatient Survey.
The survey is produced by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), who monitor, regulate and inspect health and social care services in England. It is based on feedback from more than 63,500 people who had a spell as a hospital inpatient during November 2024. More than 1,200 RJAH patients were invited to take part in the survey, and the response rate of 70% was the best in the country and well above the national average of 41%.
RJAH has been named by the CQC as one of eight organisations placed in the top band of Trusts delivering results that are considered “much better than expected”, with patient experience that is substantially better than elsewhere.
The Oswestry-based hospital received responses which were better than most Trusts in 39 of the 45 questions included in the survey which were relevant to its services, and worse than most Trusts in none.
Detailed analysis shows that its hospital wards and rooms are rated the cleanest for the fifth year in a row. The survey also included questions on whether patients, as well as their family members and carers, had been involved by staff in decisions about their care and treatment – and RJAH scored highest this year across this area for the second straight year.
Mike Carr, Deputy Chief Executive, said: “We are extremely proud of this report, which is a testament to the high quality of care delivered by staff right across our hospital.
“The survey highlights the quality of medical and clinical care our staff provide, but also the excellent work done by colleagues in areas right across the hospital. That is so important, as good health care is about meeting all the needs of our patients.
“We will celebrate this report, but also use to it to draw out areas where we can make further improvements as we strive to maintain a focus on excellence and innovation.”
The survey asked people to give their opinions on the care they received, including quality of information and communication with staff, whether they were given enough privacy, the amount of support given to help them eat and drink and assist with personal hygiene, and on their discharge arrangements.
The Trust ranked second for overall patient experience with an average score of 9.38 (against a top score of 9.44). It also ranked second for overall care and treatment with a score of 9.17 out of 10. Both these scores were an improvement on the 2023 survey.
Dr Ruth Longfellow, Chief Medical Officer, said: “Firstly, I’d like to thank everyone in the Trust who is involved in patient care, that has resulted in this excellent feedback. This survey is a very useful tool for all NHS organisations, as it gives us a strong measure of exactly what our patients think about us.
“It covers everything from the clinical care we provide to how clean the wards are, so it really is a comprehensive analysis of everything we do.
“We will use this report to celebrate our strengths, but also to help shape our areas for improvement so that we can continue to raise the bar and give our patients the experience they deserve every time they come through our doors.”
Full details of the Adult Inpatient Survey 2024 can be found online here: http://www.cqc.org.uk/
