HOSPITAL patients have let NHS bosses know exactly what they think of Winchester's A&E and outpatient departments.

Along with 99 other trusts across the country, Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS trust recently took part in a national patient survey and has just received the preliminary results.

Judy Gillow, director of nursing, told the board at a trust meeting on Wednesday that 850 questionnaires were sent out with a high 69 per cent response rate.

Patients at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital's outpatient department generally felt they were seen quickly and had adequate time with a doctor or other health professional.

Privacy and respect for patients were also commended, as were the environment and facilities of the department. However, the survey also uncovered some areas where patients think the trust is failing them - most notably around the issue of communication

They want to be better informed about what is going to happen to them next, what their treatment involves and when other people are going to observe their consultation.

The Royal Hampshire's A&E department scored highly on the issues of privacy, respect and information given to patients concerning their condition and treatment.

However, patients felt they could be given more information on waiting times and discharge.

Mrs Gillow said: "We welcome areas that we can develop further and I think that is the value of the patient surveys."

She added that the findings will be reported in more detail to the board when the results of the survey for other trusts become available in around one month's time.

Mrs Gillow said these results would provide a benchmark for the trust.