MOST children and young people who stayed at Bradford Royal Infirmary overnight or were seen as a day patient were happy with the care they got, according to a new report from health watchdogs.

More than 34,000 patients under the age of 16 took part in the Care Quality Commission survey across the country, including those treated at BRI.

They were asked questions about their hospital care during November and December 2016, and their parents and carers were also asked to rate their child's overall experience.

The survey found that 94% of eight to 15-year-olds who were asked if hospital staff looking after them in Bradford were friendly said yes while 87 per cent of them also said they were looked after well.

The survey showed 76% of parents and carers thought they were well looked after too although only 79% of them felt their child's overall patient experience was good, an outcome that was worse than some other Trusts - nationally 81% rated their child’s overall experience as eight or above out of ten.

Seventy per cent of children spoken to in Bradford said there were enough things for them to do in hospital but only 57% liked the food and just 42% said hospital staff played with them.

82% of parents and carers said the hospital was clean, compared to 97% nationally.

Professor Ted Baker, Chief Inspector of Hospitals at the Care Quality Commission said: “Overall, the NHS should be pleased with the results of the 2016 survey which show the majority of children and young people were happy with their care. This is a testament to the hard work and dedication of hospital staff working with children and young people across the country. It also reflects the findings from our inspections, which show the quality of children and young people’s services is often rated higher than any other core service within a hospital.

“However, the survey does show some areas where children, young people and their parents and carers reported room for improvement. Hospitals should examine the results of this survey, together with our inspection reports and take steps to improve their care where necessary.

“We’re encouraging more children and young people to share their experiences of care with us. Along with our inspections, this feedback is crucial to help the NHS improve the quality of its services for children and young people.”

The survey findings have been shared with providers to review their individual results and take steps to address any areas where improvements are needed. CQC will continue to use the findings as part of its wider monitoring of the quality of children and young people’s services and to plan and target its inspections.