Analysis of the results of a Healthcare Commission questionnaire show the L&D came in the top 20 per cent of hospital trusts for some of its activities but it was bottom of the pile for others.

The L&D is among the top trusts in the countryfor giving patients a choice of admission dates and ensuring the majority did not have to share a sleeping area or bathroom area with people of the opposite sex.

But the hospital fell in the bottom 20 per cent for the state of the toilets and bathroom facilities.

Every year, a random sample of inpatients are contacted and asked about their hospital experience as part of the National Patient Survey, carried out by the Healthcare Commission.

At the end of 2007, 850 patients who had been admitted to the L&D were sent questionnaires - 388 responded.

Results for the hospital showed overall improvements in 37 different areas and for only nine questions the score was lower than last year.

But the hospital has introduced new electronic hand-held computer devices, known as the Patient Experience Tracker, to allow patients to log their experience of hospital confidentially.

It is being used to gain feedback from a wide selection of patients across 22 areas in the hospital, including A&E and outpatients.

The L&D also has its own questionnaire distributed to 100 inpatients every month, which shows an overall satisfaction rate of 90 per cent.

Luton & Dunstable Hospital

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