Patients have praised the standard of care experienced at Dorset County Hospital (DCH). 

The latest adult inpatient survey, carried out by the Picker Institute on behalf of the Care Quality Commission, captured the views and experiences of 590 patients who stayed a minimum of one night as an inpatient at DCH during November 2023. 

Questions in the survey asked for feedback on the patients' journeys from admission to hospital, treatment and discharge. 

The results revealed that 99% felt they were treated with respect and dignity; 98% had confidence and trust in the doctors and 80% rated their overall experience highly. 

DCH scored above the Picker average for staff explaining reasons for changing wards at night; not having to wait long to get to a bed on a ward; being given enough information about their care and treatment while on a virtual ward and standards of hospital food. 

Areas for improvement included being given more information about medicines at discharge; knowing what will happen with their care post discharge; involving families and/or carers in discussions about leaving the hospital and being asked about the quality of their care whilst in hospital. 

Chief Nursing Officer at Dorset County Hospital Dawn Dawson said: "We are incredibly proud to receive such positive feedback from our patients. Our teams work extremely hard, often under very demanding circumstances, and they deserve to be recognised. However, we are always striving to continue to improve patient care and experience, and patient feedback is vital for that. 

"We recognise the need for improvement around patient discharge. As part of this, plans are in place for an extensive training packaged to be delivered to staff to support confidence and knowledge in delivering discharge conversations. 

"We are always working to continue to shape and improve our services and the overall experience we provide at our hospital."