Newham’s health bosses are celebrating after the hospital trust was awarded outstanding results in inspections focusing on patients’ non-clinical experiences.

Newham University Hospital NHS Trust was awarded two “Excellent” grades in the categories of Food, Privacy and Dignity and one “Good” in the Environment category in the annual Patient Environment Action Team (PEAT) assessment.

The PEAT is a self-assessed tool to monitor improvements in the non-clinical aspects of patient care. The three areas of assessment are Environment, Food, Privacy and Dignity. The results help to highlight areas for improvement and share best practice across healthcare organisations in England.

Assessments are carried out by NHS staff, patients and the public. Newham University Hospital involves the patients in initiatives such as weekly unannounced official inspections (Shadow PEAT) and unannounced quarterly inspections (Mock PEAT), to make sure it continues to maintain high standards at all times, in line with the directives of the National Patient Safety Agency.

The inspections, led by Reza Miah, have been conducted more in depth and have included pictures to make sure the problem is assessed soon and efficiently. The high rate of external participants in the inspections, such as representatives from other hospitals and ex-patients has provided a unique range of opinions.

Ben Asante, Patient Public Representative said: “Being part of the annual PEAT inspection was an eye-opener for me. The level of cleanliness at the hospital is comparable with what is obtainable at some reputable hotels. I also found it highly commendable the degree of privacy and dignity shown to the in-patients. In short, I had a very positive impression of the exercise; so keep it up.”

Reza Miah, Facilities Management Auditor, said “We are committed to maintaining and improving our standards to make Newham the hospital of choice for our local population. The Trust is going through extensive refurbishment and we hope to gain an Excellent in “Environment” in the PEAT next year.”