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New online service lets patients rate hospitals
Ben Bailey11 Aug 2009
A new online service that allows patients to rate and compare hospitals on issues such as cleanliness, car parking and waiting times was being launched today.
Patients will also be able to check mortality rates and the prevalence of superbugs such as MRSA and Clostridium difficile with a new web-based scorecard available on the NHS website.
The facility on www.nhs.co.uk, which works in a similar way to internet comparison websites, means patients will be able to compare a range of hospitals and their ratings in one place, allowing them to make an informed choice.
Users will also be able to read patient reviews on staff performance, the quality of the food, how involved patients felt in decisions around their care and if they would recommend the hospital to friends and family.
They will be able to look at a general scorecard which compares different hospitals, or look in more detail at specific treatments and procedures within those hospitals.
Every hospital in England is being asked to encourage patients to leave feedback on the NHS website, as well as responding to comments, to improve standards.
Health Secretary Andy Burnham, who unveiled the service, said: "Going into hospital is one of the most important moments in anyone's life. And yet we don't equip patients with anything like enough information to make informed decisions.
"The new scorecard helps patients make the right choice of hospital for them by bringing together all the information in one place for the first time.
"The service also offers an unparalleled opportunity for hospitals to be made aware of any issues and act to improve their services, helping to drive up standards across the board, and become more patient focused."
Michael Summers, vice chairman of the Patients Association, said: "The more information that patients have about local availability of their healthcare and the standards that they are looking for, the better it is. We would fully support the launch of this important web tool and would hope that patients will benefit substantially from it."
The new service is also being backed by healthcare professionals. Stephen Ramsden, chief executive of Luton & Dunstable Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: "We have been working closely with NHS Choices and our frontline staff to raise awareness of the excellent information on this website for our patients.
"We also want to make sure that our patients are aware that they can leave feedback about their experience on NHS Choices to help us to continue to improve our services, and also to praise the L&D Hospital where it is due."
Later this year, a similar service will be launched to allow patients to rate and compare GP practices.
