New patient experience vision to transform emergency care at the Countess of Chester Hospital

A new vision to enhance patient and family experience is delivering improvements in care quality at the Emergency Department of the Countess of Chester Hospital, as reflected in the latest Care Quality Commission survey.

The CQC survey, conducted in February and March 2024, gathered feedback from over 400 patients about their experiences of emergency care at the Countess of Chester Hospital with the findings highlighting significant progress in key areas:

• 94% of patients reported that they had confidence and trust in doctors and nurses
• 30% more patients reported being able to access food and drink while in A&E.
• 17% more patients felt they could get help for their condition from a member of staff.
• Noticeable improvements were also reported in keeping patients informed about waiting times.

Some of the Trust’s scores were amongst the highest in the region, including for care and treatment, information about recovery at home and the overall experience patients had of the department. The results demonstrate the success of the newly implemented six-step patient experience vision, which has been developed by frontline A&E staff to enhance care, compassion, and quality.

Closely monitored through an A&E Improvement Framework which tracks progress and identifies areas for further improvement, this approach has brought real and sustained improvements to patient care, including how care is provided, safety, and communication. However, the survey also pointed to areas for further focus.

The latest survey results provide a clear outline for improvements which the NHS Trust will use as the basis for its ongoing commitment to improvement.

Sue Pemberton, Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Nursing and Quality said:

“We are absolutely committed to ensuring our services meet the needs and expectations of our patients. With some of the best results in the region, these survey results show that our new vision for patient and family experience is helping us make real, sustained changes that improve and enhance the care we provide.

“The results not only highlight where we’re doing well and also help us to plan our ongoing improvement work so we continue to improve for our patients. I want to thank every patient who took the time to complete the survey – your feedback is invaluable in helping us shape better services.”

Meanwhile, the survey also reflected positive developments at the Urgent Treatment Centre, which plays a key role in managing urgent and emergency healthcare needs.

Patients reported:

• Shorter wait times, with more people spending less than four hours in A&E.
• Improved communication, with 97% of patients understanding why tests were required.
• A 5% improvement to patient privacy when discussing their condition with the receptionist
• Improvements in family, friends and carers being able to talk to a professional

The Trust recognises the importance of patient feedback in driving continuous improvement and remains focused on delivering safe, high-quality, and compassionate care for all.

All patients are encouraged to complete the Trust’s Friends and Family test after receiving care and to provide feedback and comments – whether positive or not to identify where it needs to improve further.

Patients and loved ones can provide feedback via: 

cochpals@nhs.net.

The full survey results are available on the Care Quality Commission website.