PATIENTS have rated Barking, Havering, and Redbridge Hospitals Trust as the fourth worst in the country, according to newly released figures. Statistics from a survey carried out by the Healthcare Commission showed that the Trust finished fourth from bott

PATIENTS have rated Barking, Havering, and Redbridge Hospitals Trust as the fourth worst in the country, according to newly released figures.

Statistics from a survey carried out by the Healthcare Commission showed that the Trust finished fourth from bottom for overall care for its patients.

The survey was filled out by around 76,000 adult patients from 165 acute and specialist NHS Trusts in England between October and December, 2007.

Each of them answered a number of questions about the quality of care, cleanliness of wards, and the attitude of doctors and nurses.

The Trust was given an overall care rating of 68 out of a possible 100.

Lowest score was given to Ealing Hospital Trust with 65, and the highest was Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic and District Hospital Trust in Shropshire, with 92.

Shockingly 15 percent of patients who filled in the survey about the Barking, Havering, and Redbridge Trust said they wanted to complain about the care they received; 27 per cent said they had to wait more than five minutes to get help after they pressed their call buttons; and eight per cent said they felt as if they were treated with no respect or dignity at all.

The Trust consistently fell in the bottom 20 per cent of ratings for a series of different survey questions. These included were people given enough privacy when being examined or treated in the emergency department?; did a member of staff give them details about medication side effects to watch for when they went home?; and did they have confidence and trust in the nurses treating them?

A Trust spokesperson said: "While it is pleasing that 83 per cent of the patients questioned said that their overall stay had been good, very good or excellent, we still recognise that there are definite improvements to be made.

"The Trust takes this survey very seriously, and our Director of Nursing and Medical Director have been tasked with improving the situation.