16 January 2009
By Vivienne Russell
Accident and emergency staff are still not doing enough to control patients’ pain, the NHS watchdog has revealed.
The Healthcare Commission’s survey of 50,000 people who visited an A&E department between January and March 2008 revealed that 14% said staff did not do everything they could to help control pain. A further 27% said they helped with pain control only to some extent.
The findings show progress on previous satisfaction levels, but the commission said more needed to be done.
There were also concerns about the amount of information patients were given when they left A&E. Only a third said they were given a complete explanation of possible side-effects of medication, or information about when they could resume activities such as driving and going back to work.
Chief executive Anna Walker said: ‘Patients have raised important issues about staff helping to control pain, the information patients are given on discharge, privacy when they book in at reception and access to help when needed. This is important feedback that trusts should listen to. Understanding and responding to experiences of patients is critical in a modern NHS.’
There was some good news for the NHS, however, with 88% of those surveyed rating the care they received in A&E as ‘excellent’, ‘very good’ or ‘good’.
Health minister Ben Bradshaw said: ‘We are pleased that patients continue to report high and increasing rates of satisfaction with A&E and ambulance services.’
NHS Confederation policy director Nigel Edwards said: ‘There is still work to be done but overall the picture is one of a service which is steadily improving its game.’
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