National survey results of children and young people’s health services released

The Care Quality Commission’s (CQC’s) Children and Young People’s Survey 2024 asked patients receiving care during March, April and May 2024, and their parents or carers, about their experience.

The Trust’s top scores included parents feeling staff provided written information about caring for their child at home, there was enough hospital food choice for their child, they were informed who to contact if worried about their child when at home, staff attempted to provide distractions to the child during operations and procedures. The Trust also scored above the national average for the child feeling staff did everything they could to help manage any pain. 

Areas where the Trust scored less well than others were the overall rating of the child’s experience in hospital, parent involvement in decision making, raising concerns about a child’s care and treatment and parents feeling they had been given conflicting advice. 

Helen Dobson, Chief Nurse at The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We have been listening carefully to what our youngest patients and their families have told us about the quality of their care they receive from our children’s and young people’s services.

“Since the last survey, published in 2021, the team has been working hard to help improve patient and family experience while in our care. This has included making adjustments and introducing sensory equipment to help those with additional needs. Our play specialists on the Children’s Ward have also been working to make the time children spend in hospital less frightening, and supporting the children and their families.

“We have also been provided with funding from Rotherham Hospital and Community Charity to enable us to provide the extra touches that help make a hospital stay more pleasurable. The charity also funded the redevelopment of the Children’s Ward outdoor play area, enabling children in our care to play outside as part of their recovery.

“We know there is more work to do. Feedback from surveys such as this are important in guiding how we develop our care and support in future, ensuring we meet the needs of our patients. We have also brough in local Young Inspectors to assess our services, and have listened to their feedback to make improvements.”

To ensure ongoing improvement, the Trust’s Patient Engagement Team actively seeks feedback and involvement from patients, their relatives, members of the public, and particularly those with lived experience from less well heard groups, LGBTQ+ communities, people with disabilities and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds. 

There are a number of ways to do this, including joining TRFT’s Patient Panel or attending engagement events throughout the year which aim to gather public feedback on specific topics. The team can be contacted by emailing rotherham.patientengagement@nhs.net.