Doctors and nurses in our A&E departments are among the best in the country, a survey of patients has revealed.

People struck down by accidents or emergencies have rated the departments at both Huddersfield Royal Infirmary and Calderdale Royal Hospital as better than most when it comes to care.

The rating comes as health officials decide whether or not to shut one of the units.

The Calderdale and Huddersfield Foundation Trust has scored above average in the national A&E survey by watchdog, the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

While the departments have struggled to meet NHS waiting targets amid surging levels of patients in 2014, they have still scored higher than most in terms of the quality of care and treatment.

The Trust received nine out of ten scores for a host of categories, including; being given information about their treatment, the time spent with their doctor or nurse, hospital cleanliness, privacy, dignity and avoiding confusion.

But the survey did reveal only a five out ten score for speed of receiving pain relief and only four out of ten for information on how long it would take until they were examined.

The majority of categories were in line with the England average and there were no below average scores.

A&E Consultant, Mark Davies attributed the encouraging results to the hard work of staff in the departments.

Huddersfield Royal Infirmary in Lindley
Huddersfield Royal Infirmary in Lindley

“We have a fantastic team of clinical and non-clinical staff who are committed to using patient feedback and data to improve patient experience,” he said.

“However, we are not complacent and we will always strive to further improve.”

Director of Nursing, Julie Dawes, said: “The findings of the survey are very positive and show that despite increased demand, overall patient experience is improving.”

The survey is the fifth national A&E survey carried out by the CQC, involving 142 acute and specialist NHS trusts with a major accident and emergency department.

Three-hundred-and-nineteen patients who had attended the A&E Departments at the Calderdale Royal Hospital and Huddersfield Royal Infirmary in March 2014, responded to the survey.

Patients were asked what they thought about different aspects of their care and treatment, across 8 sections.

Based on their responses, the CQC gave each NHS Trust a score out of 10 for each question.

CHFT scored 8.6/10 overall.

Professor Jonathan Benger, National Clinical Director for Urgent Care at NHS England, said: “It is great to see such good feedback from the public about A&E services.

“This report shows that despite the pressures on A&E and the increasing numbers of people accessing services, our staff are continuing to do an excellent job and treating patients with respect.”