Northumbria Healthcare’s hospitals rated highly for food and cleanliness in national assessments

The standards of its Northumberland and North Tyneside hospitals have been rated highly in the national Patient-Led Assessments of the Care Environment (PLACE) report.

The trust scored second highest nationally in the food category for large acute trust and second highest nationally in cleanliness. It also ranked second of all acute trusts nationally for dementia, dignity and well-being.

These assessments were undertaken between September and December 2022.

They focus on how the hospital environment supports service provision and patient care, looking at core aspects such as cleanliness, food and maintenance, as well as the extent to which the environment supports privacy and dignity of dementia and disability compliance.

Northumbria Healthcare’s chief executive, Sir James Mackey, said: “We pride ourselves on our commitment to providing outstanding patient care and we know how hard our staff work to ensure that patients get the service they deserve.

“As well as the treatment they receive, we know things like cleanliness, good food and the overall patient environment are all really important in offering the best possible experience for people while they are with us.

“That’s why it’s so pleasing to see our hospitals being recognised in the (PLACE) report and these results reflect the commitment of our staff to ensure patient experience remains at the core of all we do.

“It is reassuring to see that, in spite of pressures faced, our staff have continued to focus on the needs of patients and delivered excellent standards of care.”