Devon NHS trust among best in the country according to poll (From Mid Devon Star)

Devon NHS trust among best in the country according to poll

1:14pm Monday 18th March 2013 in Devon By Mid Devon Star Reporter

NORTHERN Devon Healthcare NHS Trust has been rated among the best in the country according to what matters most to patients, a new report says.

The trust, which runs Tiverton, Cullompton and Crediton hospitals, ranked 11th out of 146 trusts with a score of 7.28 in a report called the Quality Index.

The report is the first ever overall assessment of NHS hospital quality in England, and ranked trusts on 10 different indicators based on what patients said was most important to them.

It found that of the 10 indicators, patient experience and waiting times matter most to the public. In a poll of the British public conducted by ComRes, nearly one quarter (23 per cent) of respondents said the factor they considered to be most important when deciding which hospital to choose for an operation was the number of patients who said they had a good experience of care at the hospital. The report also makes 14 recommendations on how the quality ratings should be developed and used to improve the quality of care delivered by hospitals in the NHS.

Jac Kelly, chief executive of the trust, said: “We are delighted that the excellent standard and quality of care that our trust provides corresponds directly to what is most important to patients. Our staff are incredibly dedicated and the fact that their hard work has been recognised nationally is testament to their ongoing commitment and expertise.

"I am very proud of our success and am looking forward to building upon it throughout the coming year.”