[S]urvey results for England show that Renal Services at the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle and West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven have come out on top for patient experience.
The Patient Reported Experience Measures (PREM) survey results, carried out by the UK Renal Registry and Kidney Care UK, were released last week and showed that North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust (NCUH) came first out of 56 renal centres for overall patient experience. The survey asks renal patients a range of questions about their care, including access to a renal team, privacy and dignity, communications, support and decisions about care.
The Trust topped the leader boards in the following areas:
- Overall patient experience
- Communication between patients, the Renal team and other medical specialists
- How the Renal team treats patients, including listening, spending time with them, showing a caring attitude and taking concerns seriously
The Trust also came in the top three out of 56 Trusts for:
- Support with medical issues, concerns and anxieties and accessing patient support groups
- Sharing decisions about care, including talking about treatment and life goals and patients taking a more active role in managing their care
In every area, the Trust improved on its previous year’s score, and was also above the national average in every area measured.
Dr Andrew Bow, clinical director for Renal services, said: “We are delighted with the results of the survey which is a real testament to the hard work of our team across both of our hospital sites.
“We know that nationally, demand for dialysis services is growing at six per cent per annum therefore work is underway to ensure our services can meet this demand. This includes the expansion of our dialysis unit at West Cumberland Hospital and working to provide more home dialysis, including home haemodialysis, which frees up capacity for those who require dialysis in a hospital setting and also offers many benefits to patients who are suitable to undertake their treatment at home.”
Ron Cullen, chief executive of the Renal Registry, added: “This survey provides an invaluable opportunity for the kidney community to understand and take account of patient experience and use it as the starting point for quality improvement and change in how renal care is delivered.”
