Health care gets patients' thumbs up

Healthcare workers inspire widespread confidence and trust among the public, a major survey has found.

However, there is concern about whether patients are given full details of the possible side effects of medication, or the full risks and benefits of treatment.

And there is on-going dissatisfaction about how long people have to wait for appointments.

This survey indicates that the vast majority of NHS patients are satisfied with the care they receive and had confidence in the NHS staff who treated them Lord Warner

The Commission for Health Improvement (CHI), an independent health watchdog, surveyed 273,000 patients for their views about the standard of care they had received.

Nine out of ten people had a high regard for the health professionals treating them, and said that staff listened to their concerns.

Some 85% of A&E patients and 94% of outpatients rated their standard of care as excellent, very good or good.

The results also showed that 66% of patients were seen by a doctor or nurse practitioner within an hour of arriving at A&E.

Health Minister Lord Norman Warner welcomed the research.

He said: "This survey indicates that the vast majority of NHS patients are satisfied with the care they receive and had confidence in the NHS staff who treated them."

Jocelyn Cornwell, CHI's deputy chief executive, said it was important that hospitals and primary care providers were informed of the views of their patients.

She said: "For them to be at the centre of health services, patients' views and patients' priorities must be paramount.

"There is room for improvement even in the best services. I urge health service organisations and patient groups to use this information to improve care locally for patients."