Press release

Update of Overall Patient Experience scores

Statistics were released today by the Department of Health on the Overall Patient Experience scores

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

The following statistics were released today by the Department of Health:

Overall Patient Experience scores updated to include results from a 2011 survey of adult outpatients.

Background
This publication updates the patient experience scores last updated on 22nd May 2011. These statistics use questions from a 2011 survey of adult outpatients to produce an updated set of five domain scores out of 100. Patient-experience scores aim to answer the question “overall, has patient experience changed over time?” (in this case, for outpatient care).

These figures provide comparison with earlier figures from 2002 onwards. Results are based on responses to a survey of patients in outpatient departments in April and May 2011. The survey was overseen by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and a more detailed summary of the survey results has been published simultaneously by CQC, on 14th February 2012.

Key points from the latest release

  • The overall patient experience score in 2011 for Outpatient Services is 79.2 out of 100 (where 80 would suggest that patients, on average, found the service ‘very good’).
  • This score is not directly comparable with earlier years, because one of the survey questions has changed.  If performance on this aspect of care had not changed, the overall score would have gone up from 78.6 in 2009 to 79.1 in 2011.
  • There have been improvements in scores for ‘safe high quality coordinated care’ (from 83.2 to 83.6), ‘building closer relationships’ (from 87.3 to 87.7) and ‘clean comfortable friendly place to be’ (70.9 to 71.3).
  • There was a slight fall in the score for ‘better information, more choice’ (from 79.1 to 78.6). This fall is a result of reductions in patients’ feeling that risks and benefits of treatment, and any medications side effects, were explained.

Detailed data can be found on the Department of Health website.

Published 14 February 2012