We visited Whittington Hospital to take part in the PLACE assessment

PLACE assessments (Patient-Led Assessments of the Care Environment) are carried out nationally to ensure that hospitals provide safe, clean, and welcoming environments for patients. They focus on areas that matter to patients, such as cleanliness, food quality, privacy, dignity, and accessibility. The aim is to give patients and the public a voice in evaluating care settings and driving improvements.

The day began at 8:30 AM with an introductory briefing, where hospital representatives shared the progress made over the past year. We then visited several key areas, including the A&E department, two outpatient clinics, and the dementia ward. During these visits, we assessed the environment thoroughly, paying attention to hygiene standards across floors, toilets, ceilings, walls, and doors. Based on what we saw, the hospital demonstrated excellent cleanliness and maintained a well-organised and orderly environment throughout.

 

After completing the ward assessments, we returned for a food trial, sampling and rating the meals provided to patients. Feedback from the whole group was very positive. Participants who had attended earlier visits noted marked improvements in taste, quality, and presentation compared to previous years. This doubtless reflects the effort the catering team has put into enhancing the patient dining experience.

 

We also shared suggestions for further improvement, such as developing a clearer and more user-friendly signage system and ensuring that information is available in multiple languages to better serve the diverse patient community.