Patients coming to Dorset County Hospital can be assured of high standards in cleanliness, food, privacy and the environment according to national scores.

The figures released on August 29 state the Dorchester hospital has achieved excellent scores in all categories in the 2014 PLACE assessments. The PLACE (Patient-Led Assessments of the Care Environment) programme replaced the PEAT (Patient Environment Action Team) programme from April 2013.

These new self-assessments are undertaken by teams of NHS and private/independent health care providers, and include at least 50 per cent members of the public, known as patient assessors.

They focus on the environment in which care is provided, as well as supporting non-clinical services such as cleanliness, food, hydration, and the extent to which the provision of care with privacy and dignity is supported.

The hospital’s director of nursing, Alison Tong, said these results reflected the ongoing hard work of all staff to maintain standards. She said: “The PLACE assessments are critical to understanding the environment, nutritional standards and cleanliness of the hospital from a patient perspective.

“We take the feedback exceptionally seriously and are very pleased on two levels – firstly that we have improved upon our own scores from last year and secondly that we have achieved higher than the national average in all four categories.

“The people who have made this happen are our hardworking and dedicated staff.”