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Five London hospitals rated worst in country
Sophie Goodchild, Health Editor14 May 2008
London hospital patients face some of the worst healthcare standards in the country.
Five hospitals in the capital come bottom of the league for hygiene, privacy, food quality and overall care.
Ealing is ranked the lowest out of a total of 165 NHS hospital trusts, followed by Homerton, Mayday, Barking and North Middlesex.
The findings, published today by watchdog the Healthcare Commission, are based on the views of nearly 76,000 adult patients staying overnight in English hospitals. The greatest variations in care involved mixed-sex wards, waiting times and the standard of food.
Fewer than half of patients said bathrooms and lavatories were clean and fewer people than last year believed doctors and nurses always washed their hands between patients. Around a quarter of people reported being put on mixed-sex wards when admitted.
Ealing Hospital patients complained of a lack of nurses on duty, poor response rates to call buzzers and unsatisfactory food. They said there was too much noise from other patients on wards and claimed they were not given copies of medical letters from their GPs to hospital doctors. The majority of patients rated the hospital as only "fairly" clean. Commission chief executive Anna Walker said that nationally, increasing numbers of patients said care was "excellent", especially when it came to food and waiting times. But some hospitals were struggling to deliver on the basics of care. "There are striking variations in performance in key areas such as providing single-sex accommodation and giving people help when they need it. The patient voice must be heard loudly on the boards of trusts," she said.
The Patients Association pointed to Health Secretary Alan Johnson's revised promise last month to end "mixed-sex accommodation" in hospitals, rather than "mixed-sex wards" as pledged in Labour's manifesto at the last election.
Vice-chairman Michael Summers said: "We're really disappointed the Government is no longer committed to doing away with mixed-sex wards. We have also campaigned for better hospital hygiene."
Ealing Hospital NHS Trust admitted its results were "disappointing" but promised change, saying it was now putting hand-washing gel by every bed.
Trust chief executive Julie Lowe said: "The changes we're implementing will improve the way we provide services to patients and make them feel part of the decision-making process."
Reader views (8)
Unbelievable! I was in Lewisham emergency after an accident; I thought that was the pits. If there is anything worse, then really, the UK is in contention with ex-Soviet hospitals for the worst. But then again, why should that surprise anyone. If you will vote labour.....
- Mark Schreiber, Tonbridge, UK, 15/05/2008 11:56
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North Mid is pretty ropey too, I have been waiting for an endoscopy (not the most pleasant of procedures) and the wretch I spoke to just told me 'it's been cancelled' and slammed down the phone. I rang back and asked if there's a complaints procedure, and whoever I spoke to said 'I don't really know, I'm about to go home, call back tomorrow.'
It seems to be the typical response in this hospital. I know Edmonton isn't the greatest of areas but the ghetto mentality of the staff is less than desirable. In their Children's Ward, not one nurse knew what a tracheotomy was or how to maintain it when I had to take my son there when he faced an emergency. My wife and I had to stay through the night and do all his cares as only we knew how to work his ventilator.
I think I'll go private next time, I can't wait for them to improve. I know they're rebuilding North Mid but the staff need to overhaul their attitudes as well. I'm sure it's low morale that must get them down. You don't want to upset their Triage staff - I've met bus drivers with better manners.
If the Standard could publish a handful of good hospitals nearer by, I would be grateful...
- Mr Angry, Tottenham, 14/05/2008 23:36
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Totally agree with Ed, unfortunately it's our local hospital
- Fah, London, 14/05/2008 22:44
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Ealing Hospital is truly revolting...makes me sick! It absolutely reeks! I'd rather die than give birth there
- X, Ealing!, 14/05/2008 17:17
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If one wants to see a great hospital in action, the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada would be one to follow. I have never seen a better place for patient care and good hygiene and excellent staff. Even the food is good. I rate it 10 out of 10.
The only thing missing is the old style nurses uniforms, they had sex appeal and helped many a male patient improve being surrounded by pretty women.
- Pat Doyle, Edmonton, Canada, 14/05/2008 14:33
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The whole culture of PCT's and their over paid executives must be overhauled beyond ticking boxes and lip service in the press.The staff at these major hospitals must have such beaten down morale,they will have asked through many different channels for more staff,more cleaning,more instruction in ward management etc,however PCT's remain unapproachable and threatening,and certainly not proactive.As a patient the reprisals if complaining are horrendous,and for medical staff it could mean losing the job paying their mortgage which most could not afford to be tangled with.Complaining either to the relevant agencies be it the DoH via their stalling,cover up, so called patient led complaint system, or the hide it, cover it and hope it goes away PCT's or indeed the General Medical Council is a fruitless, energy draining exercise which costs the public/medical profession dearly in terms of morale, leaking funds and general apathy.The hot air replies which come out from Whitehall like a spin mantra would be better harnessed into global warming energy project. The government do not care,they pretend to be in touch and better than the last lot,however flag up an area of discomfort for them and the public/and medical profession are left only with the best complaint channel- wide spread media coverage,however even that remains dangerous in terms of defence unions.Annual health checks for PCT's normally show patterns going back years.Now we'll lose independent part of Healthcare Commission!
- Maryfoordbrown, suffolk coastal, 14/05/2008 14:15
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I'm not surprised to see Ealing Hospital at the bottom of the list, it is a truly awful place with nurses who seem to spend most of their time huddled around gossiping, filthy toilets, wards and waiting areas, you can't get in or out through the hospitals main doors because the area is full of smokers most of whom ignore the no smoking signs and then discard their butts all over the floor and the price of parking your car there is extortionate. My partner gave birth here and the after care she got was pathetic, again lazy and rude nurses and even ruder admin people just made the whole experience absolutely dreadful. Julie Lowe who oversees this dump should be removed and the whole place turned upside down if it is to resemble anything like a proper hospital. Thankfully we no longer have to go there but I pity those who do!
- Ed, London, 14/05/2008 13:46
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Hurrah, Mayday is still managing to be one of the worst hospitals in the country, if nothing else it's consistent.
- Steve Helier, Croydon, 14/05/2008 12:37
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