Hospitals are the tops!

WARRINGTON and Halton hospitals are the tops when it comes to food, patient environment and privacy and dignity.
The two hospitals, run by Warrington and Halton NHS Foundation Trust, have been rated among the best in the country in the latest Patient Environment Access Team (PEAT) national assessments.
Both hospitals have scored the top rating of “excellent” across the three categories in the annual inspections of NHS and independent healthcare facilities.
PEAT scores all hospitals from excellent to unacceptable in each of the three categories.
Patient environment includes looking at ward accommodation, bathrooms and shower facilities for patients and signage. Privacy and dignity focuses on aspects like confidentiality of information, assistance with personal care and appropriate patient clothing. The food score looks at choice and quality of food and is judged on a range of factors from menu choices to taste and presentation.
PEAT visits are carried out each year.
Local patient representatives carry out the assessments to ensure they accurately reflect patient views.
This year’s scores have improved on last year’s ratings. Last year, Halton scored good for the patient environment and privacy and dignity and excellent for food. Warrington scored good across all three areas.
Trust chief executive Mel Pickup said: “We’re delighted to receive the highest ratings across all three areas. It’s the first time both hospitals have scored excellent across the board and it shows the quality of the services that we are providing.
“We put a lot of work and investment into continually improving our facilities for patients across both our hospitals and taking on board patient feedback on food and the environment.
“Particular credit needs to go to our catering, domestic and estates teams who are unsung heroes at the hospitals and make sure that the facilities are to the standard that our patients expect.”
Although the PEAT inspections are annual events, the trust has a range of other inspection regimes that help ensure standards are met through the year. This includes a programme of unannounced ward inspections by the hospitals’ elected public governors.