REDBRIDGE: Bleak rating for borough's hospitals

1:25pm Wednesday 14th May 2008

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REDBRIDGE'S hospitals have been rated the fourth worst in the country for patient care by the Government.

A survey of nearly 200 patients at hospitals run by Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust found that many were unhappy with the way they were treated by staff.

The report, by the Healthcare Commission, also revealed that the wait to be given a bed in the Trust's hospitals is one of the longest in the country.

Patients also reported being unhappy at the amount of information given to them by staff about their medication, the levels of privacy they received and the noise on wards at night.

Overall, the Trust was given a score of just 68 out of 100.

Hospitals controlled by the trust, such as King George's, in Ilford, have attracted criticism in recent months for the way some staff treat patients.

The daughter-in-law of Woodford Green pensioner Joyce Carmen, who has been languishing at the hospital since suffering multiple strokes in January, has repeatedly slammed the hospital for its treatment.

Carmen Christie said: "The ward she's in is just hell. No one takes any notice of her, talks to her or cares.

"It's disgusting that elderly people are treated like this. She has to wet herself where she lays, her tongue is swollen so she can't breath properly and she just screams all night in agony."

Despite being rated one of the lowest out of 165 other trusts in the nation, the Trust defended the quality of its care.

A spokesperson said: "While it is pleasing that 83 per cent of the patients questioned said that their overall stay had been good, very good or excellent, we still recognise that there are definite improvements to be made.

"The Trust takes this survey very seriously, and our director of nursing and medical director have been tasked with improving the situation.

"This survey was carried out last year when the Trust was undergoing some major changes at an executive level.

"With just one exception the entire executive team was replaced in 2007."