Date: 07/07/2009
An official report has said that at least a dozen NHS Units in England are treating patients in poor or unacceptable conditions.
A national survey of 1,265 medical sites found that the vast majority of facilities scored either "excellent" (24 per cent) or "good" (60 per cent) for standards of cleanliness, decoration, linen, furniture and general state of repair.
But of the rest, more than one in six sites (15 per cent) had only "acceptable" working conditions, while nine sites were rated "poor" by the local Patient Environment Action Team (PEAT) assessments.
Three sites - all rehabilitation units for mental health patients - were rated "unacceptable" for their environment: Windmill House in Bushey, West Hertfordshire; Norfolk Lodge, in Colliers Wood, South London; and Lodge Causeway, in Bristol.
The National Patient Safety Agency, which publishes the scores, said that poorly-performing sites would be followed up by the regional health authorities or the Care Quality Commission, the NHS regulator, to make sure standards were improved.
To view full story see The Times Online.
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