Shropshire hospital 'best in the country' for patient experience

A county hospital is the ‘best in the country’ for patient experience according to the findings of a national report.

The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital (RJAH) has received the accolade in the The Adult Inpatient Survey, produced annually by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), which monitors, regulates and inspects health and social care services in England.

It shows RJAH as delivering the best overall patient experience, with an average score of 9.35 out of 10.

The survey is based on feedback from more than 62,000 people who had been hospital inpatients across the country during November 2025.

More than 1,200 RJAH patients were invited to take part, with 827 responding - a response rate of 66 per cent, well above the national average of 38 per cent.

RJAH has been named by the CQC as one of just eight organisations placed in the top band of trusts delivering results that are considered “much better than expected”, with patient experience that is substantially better than elsewhere.

The Gobowen hospital received responses which were better than most trusts in 43 of the 51 questions included in the survey which were relevant to its services, and worse than most Trusts in none.

In total, 83 per cent of all responses were positive – also the highest proportion nationally.

Stacey Keegan, RJAH chief executive, said: “These outstanding results belong to our staff, whose skill, compassion and dedication shape every patient’s experience at RJAH.

“I am grateful to our patients for their feedback, and it is gratifying that they are so positive about the experience they have had during what has been a very challenging period for the hospital and the wider NHS.

“Our staff should be very proud of this report, which reflects their continued hard work. It is reflected across all staff groups – clinical staff are celebrated but it is also so pleasing to see the work of others such as our catering teams and our housekeepers shining through in the data.

“We will make sure we take time to celebrate this report, but also use it to draw out areas where we can make further improvements as part of our aspiration to deliver outstanding care.”

The survey asked people to give their opinions on the care they received, including quality of information and communication with staff, whether they were given enough privacy, the amount of support given to help them eat and drink and assist with personal hygiene, and on their discharge arrangements.

Among the highlights, the hospital’s wards and rooms were ranked the cleanest in the country for the sixth consecutive year.

RJAH also achieved the highest scores nationally in the survey sections covering doctors, and care and treatment.

Clair Hobbs, chief nurse, said: “What matters most is that patients feel safe, listened to and treated with dignity throughout their care.

“These results show that our teams are getting those fundamentals right - from clear communication and compassionate clinical care to clean wards and support with everyday needs.

“We will look closely at the feedback to understand where we can make the greatest difference. Our aim is not simply to perform well in a national survey, but to make sure every patient consistently receives the high-quality, person-centred care they should expect from RJAH.”