A FORMER patient has given the accident and emergency department at Grimsby's hospital the thumbs-up as the results of a national survey show that standards are on a par with other hospitals.
Tabatha Richardson, 27, of Eleanor Street, was hit by a car on Railway Street while riding her moped on Tuesday, September 4, and was taken to A&E with three serious wounds on her leg, as reported.
She said the treatment she received at Grimsby's Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital in her hour of need was "spot on".
Her praise comes as the Care Quality Commission (CQC), which regulates patient care in the UK, said that accident and emergency departments run by Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust – which includes Grimsby – were "about the same" as other trusts across the country.
The CQC asked patients 40 questions, in eight sections, about the care they have received in accident and emergency, dividing scores into "better than", "about the same" and "worse than" other trusts.
North Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals scored "about the same" in seven of the sections and "better than" in the leaving accident and emergency section. It was not ranked "worse than" in any of the eight sections.
Tabatha said: "When I was hit, I was seen quickly, I had plenty of privacy, I got the treatment I needed and I was discharged, so I can't knock it," she said.
However, Tabatha believed that one of her wounds had become infected and when she returned to accident and emergency, she didn't feel as though she was being taken seriously.
She added: "I wouldn't have gone back unless I thought it was serious but it felt like they didn't believe me.
"It's hard to know if you should go to a GP or go to A&E but I suppose that's not their fault.
"This whole satisfaction survey depends on what you expect from the department."
Mr Oltunde Ashaolu, accident and emergency consultant at Diana Princess of Wales Hospital, said: "I'm very pleased with the survey outcomes.
"We've seen an improvement on our results from the previous survey in 2008, which is excellent news for our dedicated staff and our patients."
The full report is available to view at www.cqc.org.uk
