Our PLACE inspection went very well this week - thank you to all the patients, former patients, volunteers and staff who participated. Thank you to the inspectors who agreed to take part at very short notice - we really appreciate it!
Initial report summary
Cleanliness was of a very high standard throughout the building
Feedback regarding maintenance was excellent, with just minor wear and tear in some areas
Meal service was well organised, and we scored highly in all domains. Very positive feedback regarding the new winter menu
The food tasting also went very well - the food was delicious and of a very high standard!
The patients participating in the inspection gave amazing feedback regarding Mildmay's care environment, with some great suggestions regarding the new conservatory, such as a coffee machine with space for patients to play board games/card games
There were many positive comments regarding the hospital environment in general, for example, in relation to the abundance of natural light, how friendly and welcoming staff are, and how pleasant, modern and tidy the building is
We need to publicise the option of portable safes for patients to store their valuables, as these are rarely used.
PLACE stands for Patient-Led Assessment of the Care Environment
Good environments matter. Every hospital patient should be cared for with compassion and dignity in a clean, safe environment. Where standards fall short, they should be able to draw it to managers' attention and hold the service to account. PLACE assessments provide motivation for improvement by providing a clear message, directly from patients, about how the environment or services might be enhanced.
PLACE assessments see local people visit inpatient units across England to assess how the environment supports patients' privacy and dignity, the food, cleanliness and general building maintenance. It focuses entirely on the care environment, providing a clear message directly from patients about how well the environment works and how it might be enhanced.
The assessments take place every year, and results are published to help drive improvements in the care environment. The results show how hospitals perform nationally and in relation to other hospitals providing similar services.
Note that PLACE assessments focus exclusively on the environment in which care is delivered and do not cover clinical care provision or how well staff are doing their job.
2022 assessment result
Cleanliness | Food | Organisation food | Ward food | Privacy, dignity and wellbeing | Condition, appearance and maintenance | Dementia | Disability |
97.85% | 85.08% | 78.08% | 94.29 | 88.46% | 93.37 | 78.91% | 81.79% |