University Hospital Southampton (UHS) has been "highly praised" in the Care Quality Commission's (CQC) latest national inpatient survey.

The annual survey records patient feedback from people aged 16 or over who have stayed in hospital for at least one night.

More than 550 patients at UHS participated in the latest survey, which ran during November 2023, across 131 trusts in England.

The survey asks patients to rate their entire hospital experience, from admission through to discharge, and includes a question about their overall experience.

The results show that UHS scored highly in the "kindness and compassion" and "respect and dignity" categories, with respective scores of 9.2 and 9.3 out of 10.

Patients also reported trust and confidence in the doctors and nurses who treated them, noting that their questions were answered clearly and they were involved in discussions about their care.

Staff were also praised for providing sufficient privacy during examinations, enough information on conditions or treatment plans, and effective management of pain control.

The cleanliness of rooms or wards received a score of 9 out of 10, and patients felt they were provided with enough to drink to keep them hydrated and food that met their dietary needs.

Jennifer Milner, associate director of patient experience and care at UHS, said: "We are incredibly proud of the latest inpatient survey results and the high praise we have received from our patients – this is so incredibly rewarding for all staff who work tirelessly every day to provide them with very best care and experience during their stay in our hospitals.

"We are absolutely committed to continuously improving and learning and we are grateful for the feedback from this survey which also gives us a targeted focus in areas that need a little more work."

The survey gave UHS an overall positive rating of 8.3 out of 10, with most patients feeling that they had a very good experience.

Ms Milner added: "Patients are at the heart of everything we do at UHS and their care and experience here underpins everything we do."

To read the full CQC survey results, visit the CQC website.