The latest 2024 Adult Inpatient Survey, published today by the Care Quality Commission, shows modest improvements in patient satisfaction with hospital care compared with last year—but many of the metrics remain well below levels seen before the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2024 survey gathered feedback from more than 62,000 people who stayed at least one night in an acute or specialist NHS trust in England. Results show an increase in patients rating their overall experience very highly, with more giving scores of nine or ten out of ten than in 2023.
Despite these encouraging findings, many aspects of care remain low. Four in ten patients admitted for planned care said they would have liked to be admitted sooner, and nearly half said their health deteriorated while waiting.
Key Findings and Improvements:
- More patients rated their overall care 9 or 10 out of 10 compared with 2023.
- 80.1% said they always had confidence and trust in the doctors treating them.
- 82% said they were always treated with dignity and respect.
- 57.9% said there were always enough nurses on duty, up from 55.7% last year.
- 64.5% said they always received help when needed, up from 63.1%.
Areas of Concern:
- 43% said their health deteriorated while waiting for admission.
- 25.5% of all patients waited six hours or more for a ward bed.
- 17.5% waited 12 hours or more, and 9.8% waited more than 24 hours.
- Fewer than half (47.5%) felt they definitely received enough support after leaving hospital.
- 19.9% said staff did not discuss equipment or home adaptations that could have helped them.
"The lack of progress in areas such as discharge arrangements and in people feeling they received enough information - particularly when leaving hospital - is disappointing. There are also some worrying reports of lengthy waits and the proportion of people whose health deteriorated while waiting for elective care is a real concern. Equally, waits to be transferred to a ward when in hospital are an issue. Patients should receive safe and effective care in an environment that allows for their privacy and dignity to be protected. ‘Corridor care’ must not become normalised - however, these survey results demonstrate that in some cases the short-term use of temporary escalation spaces to relieve pressure on the ambulance sector is a regrettable reality. Hospitals must have in place the processes and culture to ensure that patients receive the care and attention they need in every environment." Dr Toli Onon, CQC’s Chief Inspector of Hospitals
Read more: The 2024 adult inpatient survey here
