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Do you want to make a difference in your local hospital?

Well, become a patient assessor and help us to provide the best environment for our patients to receive care in.

Patient Led Assessments of the Care Environment (PLACE) is the national system for assessing the quality of the patient environment and aims to help organisations understand how well they are meeting the needs of their patients, identifying where improvements can be made.

These assessments involve members of the local community going into our hospitals as part of teams to assess how the environment supports the provision of clinical care. Our patient assessors will assess aspects such as privacy and dignity, food, cleanliness and general building maintenance and, more recently, the extent to which the environment is able to support the care of those with dementia or with a disability.

The assessments take place every year, and results are published to help drive improvements in the care environment. The results show how hospitals are performing both nationally and in relation to other hospitals providing similar services. A total score as a percentage is produced for each domain at site and organisation level, as well as a national and a regional result.

Good environments matter to us. A clean environment is the foundation for lower infection rates, while good food promotes recovery and improves the patient experience. High standards of privacy promote patient dignity, and good maintenance and décor support a safe and comfortable stay for our patients.

PLACE assessments are carried out by the people who will potentially use our hospital buildings – patients, relatives, carers, friends or patient advocates supported by staff. The assessments are organised by our Estates and Facilities Team and each assessment is led by a PLACE/Team lead. The patients voice is critical in helping North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust to deliver effective services in good care environments.

How can you get involved? 

Becoming a patient assessor is easy, if you would like to learn more or can make one of the assessments on the dates stated below then please just email our estates team: nwangliaft.softfm@nhs.net 

• Peterborough City Hospital assessment: Thursday 16 October
• Stamford & Rutland Hospital assessment: Thursday 23 October
• Hinchingbrooke Hospital assessment: Friday 3 October, 8am — 12:30pm, Thursday 9 October, 8am — 12:30pm, Tuesday 14 October, 12pm — 4pm or Friday 17 October, 12pm — 4pm.

By becoming a patient assessor you will be helping to positively impact the care we can provide our local community. Patient assessors will be supported by a member of Trust staff and your lunch will be provided and travel expenses covered by the Trust.