Hospital standards vary, survey shows

Care standards in the NHS are patchy, according to a patient survey by the government's health watchdog.

The Healthcare Commission questioned nearly 76,000 adults staying overnight in 165 hospital trusts in England last year.

In the best performing trusts, 77% of patients rated their care as excellent, compared with just 24% in the lowest performing.

But overall, care standards improved compared with the previous survey, with 42% of patients giving their hospital the top rating compared with 38% in 2002.

Healthcare Commission chief executive Anna Walker said: 'There are striking variations in performance in key areas such as providing single-sex accommodation and giving people help when they need it. Those performing poorly must learn from those who perform well.'