All five hospitals in North Devon that were inspected this year by the Patient Environment Action Team (PEAT) have scored ‘excellent’ or ‘good’ for cleanliness and environmental standards.
All five also scored ‘excellent’ for the quality of the food provided to patients – for the second year running.
North Devon District Hospital and South Molton Community Hospital were judged to have excellent standards of cleanliness which puts them in the top 14% of Trusts in the UK. Bideford, Holsworthy and Torrington community hospitals were marked to be of a ‘good’ standard of cleanliness, which ranks them in the top 49%. These scores contribute towards the Healthcare Commission’s score rating of the Northern Devon Healthcare Trust.
Ilfracombe Community Hospital was not assessed, as it has fewer than the cut-off number of ten beds.
Jac Kelly, Chief Executive of Northern Devon Healthcare Trust said, “We are all so proud of achieving such outstanding results across the board. Patients expect a high level of cleanliness and food service when they come to hospital and we are delighted that our efforts have been nationally recognised.
“It is a real team effort at North Devon with all staff taking responsibility to provide top quality services. Our thanks go to all those Trust and Sodexho staff who make sure that our patients receive care in a safe, well maintained and clean environment and for those who ensure that our food service continues to be judged as excellent. “
Notes to editors:
- PEAT assessments look at range of nine food/service aspects as well as assessing a hospital’s progress with meeting six objectives to improve the availability of and access to food. PEAT assessments also look at range of 24 ‘cleanliness’ and other patient environment issues relating to wards, reception and waiting areas, A&E and outpatients, corridors, furnishings, linen, the external appearance of hospitals and the amenities provided to patients and visitors.
- All the hospitals adhere to the Matron’s Charter for Cleanliness, which was introduced nationally in October 2004.
- Initial scores were submitted as a self-assessment by the Trust. This internal team included a patient representative and members of the Trust clinical and management teams. In May 2007, the Trust was given one hour’s notice of an inspection by the National Patient Safety Agency to validate the Trusts own self-assessment scores.