COLCHESTER’S hospital has won praise after it performed strongly in a nationwide survey.

The 2017 Patient-Led Assessments of the Care Environment look at NHS, private and health care settings.

It assesses health sites and organisations in six areas including cleanliness, food and hydration and disability services.

Colchester General Hospital scored more than a percentage higher than the national average in all six categories.

The hospital scored: 

  • 99.29 per cent for cleanliness
  • 91.88 per cent for food and hydration
  • 85.41 per cent for privacy, dignity and wellbeing
  • 96.62 per cent for condition, appearance and maintenance
  • 76.39 per cent for dementia and
  • 86.25 per cent for disability.

Chris Howlett, director of estates and facilities at the hospital, said: “These are gratifying results which reflect well on our staff, including non-clinical staff, such as cleaning and catering staff and estates colleagues who often do not receive the recognition they deserve.

“The results show the positive contribution support staff make to patient care and the patient experience.”

The hospital has been in special measures since 2013, and was inspected by the Care Quality Commission in July.

The results are expected to be published in forthcoming weeks.

Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust is also set to merge with the Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust.

Bosses of the trusts met in public earlier this month to discuss options for taking on the partnership.

It is hoped by merging the two trusts they will acquire £70 million of new Government funding, whilst saving an additional £40 million through cutting temporary staff, administration and IT costs.