NHS care quality ‘good but needs improvement’

The government has stated that more needs to be done to improve upon the already high standard of care provided by the NHS.

Results from the 2011 Patient Experience Outpatient Survey show that 84 percent of those receiving NHS care rated their experience as excellent or very good, while improvements are also being noted in key areas.

For example, it was noted that patients are being treated with greater respect and are more involved in decisions regarding their treatment, while waiting times are falling and infections are becoming less prevalent.

However, issues that remain to be addressed included a lack of explanation on the full impact and side effects of therapies, while 16 percent of those with long-term conditions were not asked what was important to them in managing their condition.

Public health minister Anne Milton said: "The NHS should be open and accountable to the public and publishing patient feedback like this is vital for driving improvements in care."

The government announced plans regarding how it will allocate more funds directly to health professionals as part of its Health and Social Care Bill, which is receiving its latest reading in the House of Lords at present.