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Statistical Press Release

The second National Survey of NHS Patients in England was administered as a self-completion postal questionnaire in 1999. The purpose of the survey was to assess the quality of NHS patient care as seen by hospital patients, both in-patients and day patients, who had been treated for Coronary Heart Disease (CHD).

The initial survey findings were published in April 2000, with reports for each NHS Trust issued in December 2000. They show that the great majority of CHD patients had confidence and trust in all their doctors and nurses, considered that they knew enough about their condition and treatment, and found their explanations easy to understand. They were able to discuss their worries and fears with their doctors and felt sufficiently involved in decisions about their care and treatment. However, some were less satisfied with their care and there was variability between hospitals in the patients experience. This report presents the key findings from the survey for all CHD patients in England from a national point of view.

Key findings

Sex of Patient
Men were generally more satisfied than women with doctors and nurses and other hospital staff, and less likely to be bothered or upset by having to share wards or toilet facilities with men. Around two in five women who shared ward or toilet facilities with men said that it bothered or upset them.

Age of Patient
Patients over the age of 65 were less likely to report being in pain, and to say pain was severe, than patients aged under 65. 68% of patients under 65 said they were in pain during their hospital stay, compared with 60% of patients aged 65 or over.

Older patients were more likely to be satisfied with the number of nurses on duty, privacy during examinations, involvement in decisions about their care and whether information was given in a way that was upsetting.

15% of those aged 75 or over said hospital food was poor, compared with 31% of those aged under 55.

Minority ethnic patients
In several areas of the survey minority ethnic patients, particularly South Asians, reported lower satisfaction with their treatment and care, and of the attitude of hospital staff.

South Asian patients, particularly Bangladeshi men and women, reported lower satisfaction with aspects of access to care (for eg. waiting for assessment, time on the waiting list, waiting for a bed after admission).

Minority ethnic patients were generally less satisfied about understanding doctors explanations, the answers to their questions, being upset by the way information was given and not always being treated with dignity and respect. South Asian patients were most likely to express dissatisfaction, with Black Caribbean patients' dissatisfaction also higher than patients in general.

Regional differences
Patients outside London were generally more satisfied than patients in London. Patients in the Northern and Yorkshire region were generally less likely to report dissatisfaction.

London patients reported longer than average waiting times for assessments when an emergency admission and longer periods on the waiting lists. They were also more likely to have reported waiting longer for a bed after admission to hospital.

Higher proportions of patients outside London were satisfied with the hospital environment (food, mixed sex wards, toilet facilities) and with co-ordination and continuity issues (being told the name of the doctor in overall charge of their care, delays and cancellations for surgery).