Hospitals are in good health
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals has scored low mortality rates
and high patient satisfaction and dignity in an annual independent
guide.
Sheffield’s adult hospitals have been rated amongst the
best in the UK in the annual ‘Good Hospital Guide‘ of NHS
services across the country.
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has been ranked
with one of the lowest mortality rates in the country and
one of the highest patient satisfaction scores. Scores for
how much trust patients have in the doctors in the hospitals
and on patient dignity are also amongst the best in the
UK.
The ‘Good Hospital Guide’ is produced by independent health
analysts ‘Dr Foster’ and looks at all aspects of services
provided by major acute hospitals across the UK. Sheffield
Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust’s Royal Hallamshire and Northern
General hospitals are looked at in detail in the guide but
the Trust results are gathered from all the hospitals which
also include the Jessop Wing, Weston Park and Charles Clifford.
It was released in the Sunday Times this weekend and Sheffield
Teaching Hospitals was one of six Trusts shortlisted for
the ‘Hospital of the Year’ award in the guide.
Mortality scores are seen as one of the best ways of measuring
the overall services that a hospital provides. Scores are
ranked in a mortality index with a base line of 100 (death
rates as expected). Sheffield Teaching Hospitals scored
85 – meaning that mortality rates are well below the national
average.
Scores for patient satisfaction and dignity were also the
best in the Trent Region. Figures produced by MORI after
looking at results from patient surveys showed that 83 percent
of patients were satisfied with care at the hospitals compared
with a national average of 75 percent. 90 percent of patients
felt that they were treated with ‘respect and dignity’ during
their visit to the Trust as an outpatient in scores taken
from a national survey. The national average was 86 percent.
The number of inpatients waiting for more than six months
for their surgery is higher than the national average –
mainly down to demand on orthopaedic and other specialist
surgery services at the trust where patients are referred
from across the region. However, the Trust hit its overall
waiting time targets for the year with no inpatients waiting
over nine months.
Andrew Cash, Chief Executive of Sheffield Teaching Hospitals
NHS Trust, said:
"We are delighted with the findings from the guide
and it’s all down to the dedication and commitment of our
11,500 staff across the hospitals. The figures are independently
produced and assessed and give a true overall picture of
the services we provide. I hope that it’s a big boost for
staff who have worked incredibly hard over the last year
to provide excellent care. I am very proud of our staff
and I hope they are proud of the achievements they have
made.”
"We believe the hospitals are moving forward
and staff and patients will see further improvements over
the coming years with new buildings replacing outdated accommodation,
major expansions in key services across the Trust and strengthening
of our emergency services which have come under pressure.
We are a large organisation but are committed to continually
improve the service we provide to all our patients and I
believe we are going about that the right way."
june 2004
October 02, 2006 
