Waiting times fall, but hospitals are still dirty, survey of patients
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《英国医生杂志》
Patients in England are not waiting as long as they used to for emergency treatment and outpatient appointments, say two major surveys carried out by an independent healthcare watchdog.
However, patients are still unhappy about the standards of cleanliness in hospitals and would also like more information about their treatment and possible side effects of drugs they have been prescribed.
The surveys, conducted by the Healthcare Commission, were carried out in all 153 acute trusts in England that have an emergency department and all 169 NHS trusts with outpatient facilities. Of 129 948 emergency department patients who were sent a questionnaire, 55 339 returned a completed form (a response rate of 43%). In the outpatient survey 143 596 patients were sampled, and 84 280 returned a completed questionnaire (59%).
The proportion of patients who said the emergency department was "very clean" fell from 49% to 45% between 2003 and 2004
Credit: WWW.JOHNBIRDSALL.CO.UK
The responses showed that 77% of patients attending emergency departments spent less than four hours there, compared with 69% in 2003. However, nearly half the patients (47%) said they had to wait up to 15 minutes before speaking to a doctor or nurse, and 10% waited more than an hour.
Outpatients also reported shorter waiting times. Eighty per cent of patients had an appointment within three months of its being requested, compared with 75% in 2003. And although 70% of patients said they were not given a choice of appointment times, only 16% said they wanted a choice.
More than three quarters (77%) of patients said they had complete confidence and trust in the doctor treating them, although 30% of outpatients said they were not given enough information for them to be as involved as they would like to be in decisions about their care.
About 14% of patients attending emergency departments also said they did not understand explanations about test results, and half said they were not given any information about possible side effects of new drugs.
More patients than in 2003 were dissatisfied with the state of cleanliness in hospitals. Among emergency department patients 45% said the environment was very clean, compared with 49% in 2003.(Zosia Kmietowicz)
However, patients are still unhappy about the standards of cleanliness in hospitals and would also like more information about their treatment and possible side effects of drugs they have been prescribed.
The surveys, conducted by the Healthcare Commission, were carried out in all 153 acute trusts in England that have an emergency department and all 169 NHS trusts with outpatient facilities. Of 129 948 emergency department patients who were sent a questionnaire, 55 339 returned a completed form (a response rate of 43%). In the outpatient survey 143 596 patients were sampled, and 84 280 returned a completed questionnaire (59%).
The proportion of patients who said the emergency department was "very clean" fell from 49% to 45% between 2003 and 2004
Credit: WWW.JOHNBIRDSALL.CO.UK
The responses showed that 77% of patients attending emergency departments spent less than four hours there, compared with 69% in 2003. However, nearly half the patients (47%) said they had to wait up to 15 minutes before speaking to a doctor or nurse, and 10% waited more than an hour.
Outpatients also reported shorter waiting times. Eighty per cent of patients had an appointment within three months of its being requested, compared with 75% in 2003. And although 70% of patients said they were not given a choice of appointment times, only 16% said they wanted a choice.
More than three quarters (77%) of patients said they had complete confidence and trust in the doctor treating them, although 30% of outpatients said they were not given enough information for them to be as involved as they would like to be in decisions about their care.
About 14% of patients attending emergency departments also said they did not understand explanations about test results, and half said they were not given any information about possible side effects of new drugs.
More patients than in 2003 were dissatisfied with the state of cleanliness in hospitals. Among emergency department patients 45% said the environment was very clean, compared with 49% in 2003.(Zosia Kmietowicz)