| Patient environment rated highly at Trust |
| Written by Communications Team | |||||||||||||
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Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals have both obtained excellent results in the recent ‘Patient Environment and Action Team’ inspection, known as PEAT. The inspection takes place every year and looks at the quality of non-clinical services provided by all NHS hospitals – in the categories of environment (including cleanliness), food, privacy and dignity.
The PEAT inspection group comprised several members of staff from the housekeeping, catering and infection control teams, the Deputy Chief Nurse, a non-executive director, patient representatives and an independent external assessor. The team visited areas across the Trust including wards, the emergency department and outpatients, to assess a large number of factors – from cleanliness of patient equipment, floors and curtains to choice, quality and presentation of food. Chief Nurse at the Trust, Suzanne Rankin, said: “We are really pleased with the latest PEAT scores as they show that we are doing the right things to provide a clean and welcoming environment for our patients. Whilst providing the best possible clinical care is our top priority, it is also very important to get the other details right.” “Good cleanliness and infection control in our hospitals is vital, but other smaller elements can also make a big difference to the experience of our patients. For example, how easy it to use our car parks, whether our signage helps people find their way around and if meals are served on time and with a smile from the housekeeping team. These are the types of things that PEAT looks at and it reflects brilliantly on our staff, particularly the catering, housekeeping and nursing teams, that we scored ‘good’ and ‘excellent’ across the board.” |
