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Patients give seal of approval to food & care

Patients at Musgrove Park Hospital have given their seal of approval to the food and the environment in which they are cared for.

Figures published yesterday (Thursday 16 August) by NHS England’s annual patient-led assessments of the care environment (PLACE) show that Musgrove has been rated above the national average in six out of the eight categories.

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The hospital was rated 97.09% for cleanliness, 95.74 for nutrition and hydration, 96.55% for availability of food on the wards, 93.13% for the service of meals, 93.74% for privacy, dignity and wellbeing, 92.01% for condition, appearance and maintenance, 96.25% for dementia and 92.40% for disability.

PLACE assessments take place every year and are carried out by a dedicated team which this year included hospital governors, volunteers, patients and a team from Foxes Academy, who walked around the hospital to check whether the environment supported patients’ privacy and dignity.

They also looked at the quality of food, cleanliness of the hospital and general building maintenance. This year’s inspection at Musgrove saw significant improvements in the scoring for dementia, disability and privacy and dignity.

Alison Wootton, director of patient care at Musgrove Park Hospital, said: “We’re delighted that once again we have been recognised by our patients for providing a really good care environment. These scores are also a testament to the hard work of all of our staff across the hospital, from our cleaners and healthcare assistants, to our nurses, catering and estates team who all support patient care.

“What’s really pleasing is that we have been recognised for the improvements we have made in our care for people with dementia and those who are disabled and we continue to look at ways in which we can improve.”

“Making sure our patients have access to healthy and nutritional food and drink is very important to us as a trust and we continue to demonstrate this through initiatives we have implemented such as the Droplet Cup which helps to keep our patients hydrated.”

“Although our PLACE scores are very pleasing, there are always further improvements that we can make to our care environment to ensure we provide the best possible care for all of our patients.”

PLACE assessments were introduced by the NHS in April 2013 as a way of seeking feedback from patients themselves on how the environment and services at hospitals andother NHS centres could be improved. They are led by patients, with relatives and carers also taking part.

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