The Dudley Group uses patient assessors to help inspect our premises.

The Department of Health and NHS England recommend that hospitals undertake an annual assessment of the quality of their non-clinical services and buildings; these assessments are called patient-led assessments of the care environment (PLACE).

The assessments are ‘patient-led’ to ensure that the patient voice is given the highest priority and patient assessors make up at least 50% of the assessing team. Assessors visit different parts of the hospital in order to assess:

• How clean the environments are
• The condition of the building(s) – inside and outside
• How well the building meets the needs of those who use it, eg signage
• The quality and availability of food and drinks
• How well the environment protects people’s privacy and dignity
• How well the environment supports people with dementia
• How well the environment supports people with disability

Assessors visit ward and non ward areas such as inpatient wards, outpatients, emergency department and also carry out meal-time assessments which involve food tasting.

Assessments are arranged for a morning or afternoon session, although some can be all day.

Refreshments will be provided and parking/travel costs reimbursed.

The assessments will involve lots of walking around the hospital – please let us know if any assistance will be required.

People who use the hospital can apply to become an assessor, this includes

• Patients
• Relatives and carers
• Patient advocates and friends
• Volunteers
• Hospital governors
• We also involve our local Healthwatch Team

The important thing is to provide a patient view as patient assessors should broadly reflect our patient population.

Current or recent members of staff (who have left the Trust within the last two years) cannot act as a patient assessor.

PLACE volunteers should have a common-sense, unbiased and practical approach and be able to be objective when assessing and gathering information. They should provide a patient’s view of the hospital.

Volunteers will be trained alongside our own staff.

Training will include:

• PLACE overview
• Patient confidentiality and ward protocols
• Hand hygiene and infection control procedures
• Content of the assessment / checklists
• The scoring process
• Role of the patient assessors
• Completing the assessment sheets
• Information about the hospital
• What to do in an emergency
• A practice assessment

If you require any more information about becoming a patient assessor, please contact Jannine Dyke on 01384 456111 or via email jannine.dyke1@nhs.net.