Health Survey results to be used by PCT

to drive local improvements

The results of a local health survey carried out by Putney’s Conservative parliamentary Justine Greening are to be used by Wandsworth Primary Care Trust as part of its efforts to raise healthcare standards locally.

Initial results from the survey, were last week shared with Wandsworth Primary Care Trust, and Director of Primary Care, Veronica Cotterill. Residents’ comments and feedback will be circulated to local hospitals in the new year.

Justine Greening said she was very encouraged by Wandsworth Primary Care Trust’s positive response to the survey findings:

"I am very pleased that our local PCT is actively interested in using these results to help improve services. I’d like to thank everyone who took the time to fill in the survey.

Justine with her survey at a local practice in Southfields

Nearly 700 people have completed the survey so far and the results give a remarkably balanced picture of how people find healthcare locally. Though people have a wide variety of experiences, there are some issues - especially hospital cleanliness and poor complaints procedures, which are real concerns and come through time and time again in peoples’ comments. On the plus side, many people also took the opportunity to praise local doctors and nurses for their high standards of care. They seemed to clearly distinguish between those providing the care and the quality of the environment in which that care was provided."

The survey was carried out over the autumn and asked residents for their views on a wide range of healthcare provision – from access to GP and dentists, to views on A&E facilities and hospital care.

Key findings from the survey were:

• 85% of patients used hospitals locally – St Georges, Queen Mary’s and Kingston
  
  
• 25% of Kingston patients classed themselves as "not satisfied" with their overall standard of care, rising to nearly 40% if negative comments written alongside answers were taken into account. Cleanliness was often cited as an issue.
  
  
• 73% of those commenting on the complaints procedure said it was not good.
  
  
• Just one in three respondents agreed that registering with a local dentist was "easy".
  
  
• 15% said they were not registered with a dentist at all.

Following the success of the survey, Ms Greening said that she would continue to work with Wandsworth PCT to drive for healthcare improvements, and in addition to press for a more transparent complaints procedure.

"Right now its often confusing for those patients who have been unhappy with their local health service. Many are not sure where or who to complain to, and what will happen – if anything – if they do complain. Before Community Health Councils were scrapped by the government, it was clearer to patients which body to use for a complaint. Most businesses use complaints in a positive way to identify service improvements – this survey shows how badly the NHS is missing out on that opportunity."

December 13, 2004