Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust exceeds the national average in the latest Patient-Led Assessments of the Care Environment (PLACE) results.

The PLACE assessments look at a range of areas and are carried out by groups of assessors including service users, relatives, carers and patient advocates.

The annual assessments score NHS organisations on key aspects including cleanliness, quality and availability of food and drink, and meeting the needs of people with dementia or a disability.

The Care Trust scored highly across all areas, beating the national averages. In particular, achieving an overall score of 99.5 per cent for cleanliness and 97 per cent for food and hydration, for the Airedale Centre for Mental Health and Lynfield Mount Hospital.

Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust’s Director of Finance, Contracting and Estates, Mike Woodhead, said: “We are delighted with the results, which reflect the hard work and commitment that our staff put in every day to ensure that the patient experience is a positive one. We know that areas like food and cleanliness can make a big difference to a person’s wellbeing, but whilst we celebrate this result, we need to continue to improve our hospital environments, so they reflect current best practice to support therapeutic care and patient recovery.”

On providing dementia and learning disability supportive environments, the Trust exceeded the national average for dementia, by nine per cent. This element focuses on flooring, decor and signage, but also includes the availability of handrails and appropriate seating which can help those with the condition.