Patient-led assessments of the care environment (PLACE)
Today Jane Cummings, Chief Nursing Officer for England, has written to NHS leaders introducing the new system for assessing the quality of the hospital environment from April 2013. Patient-led assessments of the care environment (PLACE) is the new system for assessing the quality of the hospital environment, which replaces Patient Environment Action Team (PEAT) inspections from April 2013. PLACE assessments will apply to all hospitals delivering NHS-funded care, including day treatment centres and hospices.
PLACE assessments put patient views at the centre of the assessment process, and use information gleaned directly from patient assessors to report how well a hospital is performing in the areas assessed – privacy and dignity, cleanliness, food and general building maintenance. It focuses entirely on the care environment and does not cover clinical care provision or staff behaviours.
The assessments will be undertaken annually, and results will be reported publicly to help drive improvements in the care environment. The results will show how hospitals are performing nationally.
Most importantly, patients and their representatives will make up at least 50 per cent of the assessment team, which will give them the opportunity to drive developments in the health services they receive locally.
For more information you can read the letter in full (the letter is now available on our archived website).
4 comments
Jane Cummings speaking on Radio 4 today does not realise that when she says people should speak up about problems etc in hospitals etc – BUT LITTLE DOES SHE REALISE THAT ALL THE STAFF CLOSE RANKS AND APPEAR THAT THEY ARE ORDERED NOT TO DIVULGE ANY INFORMATION TO ANYONE.
THAT IS WHY PATIENTS AND THEIR RELATIVES DOE NOT KNOW JUST WHAT IS HAPPENING TO THEM.
WHEN ASKED QUESTIONS, THEY ARE DISMISSED BY BOTH CONSULTANTS, DOCTORS AND NURSES.
THIS SURELY IS NOT ACCEPTABLE!!! AND THIS HAS BEEN ENDEMIC WITHIN HOSPITALS FOR AT LEAST THE LAST ELEVEN YEARS!!! SO WHY HAS IT NOT BE ADDRESSED MUCH SOONER!!!
If a patient doesn’t ask for help they may not get the highest possible reasonable standard of care.
How does a patient know what care they are entitled to.
How does a patient know if they could ask for a bit more than they are first given.
How does a patient know how much resource they can use?
You know as well as I do that a lot of this is driven by personal ability and doctor -patient dynamics…al of which is of course discriminatory vs those less able to know what to ask for and take responsibility for how they get the most from their docs.
Anon patient.
Can I respond to your post in the order you put them so you don’t get confused about which potion I’m talking about ?
1.Shouldn’t we as patients expect to get the best care from the start and if you feel your not getting that isn’t it your right to voice complaints and your right to expect the best care not only reasonable care?
2. you ask how as a patient knows what care they are entitled to, see my answer above the patient should expect to get the very best treatment without the need to question ?
3.Isn’t it the right of every patient to ask anything about their care ?
4. I don’t see the point of this question the patient doesn’t have to know how much he/she can use because it should be they get what they need without question it’s for other people to question the resources.
5. You said, You know as well as I do that a lot of this is driven by personal ability and doctor -patient dynamics…al of which is of course discriminatory vs those less able to know what to ask for and take responsibility for how they get the most from their docs.
Isn’t the whole theory of the new patient led drive to in-power those patients who have found it hard to be heard and to create a forum were patients will know what and where to say it, .
In a nut shell embrace the changes embrace the patients ability to make there voices heard remember it’s better to have a voice on the inside than be shouting from outside.
I am a patient with MS and want UK NHS to help us all alot more. Have had to fly out of UK sell our home and loose 70 thousand pounds in the process because our NHS wont help us have CCSVI the new way forward worldwide for MS , involves unblocking our veins and valves in our necks which is a very easy procedure to do and very undangerous also.I had nother procedure via NHS bladder botox at the time given to me NOT clinically trialled yet given and nearly died 2 weeeks after. SO to deny CCSVI makes no sens ewhat so ever.Neurologists and many more are against becaus etoo many have cosy relationships with pharmas on MS drugs. NO MS drug will cure us ever . Too many have shares and commissions on too. Its an absolute disgrace whats going on with MS and too many are unaware of whats really going on .