Only 41% of NHS staff would trust their family to their own hospitals

As few as four in 10 staff at London hospitals say they would be happy for a relative or friend to be treated on their wards, figures reveal today.

The hospital with the worst record in the capital was Croydon Health Services Trust. Just 41 per cent of doctors, nurses and other NHS workers agreed they would be happy with the standard of care provided at their organisation if a friend or relative needed treatment, according to the 2012 staff survey.

Less than half of staff at Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals Trust and South London Healthcare Trust (both 47 per cent) backed the quality of care at their institutions when asked the question.

The figure for North Middlesex University Hospital Trust was 51 per cent. Croydon, BHRUH and South London Healthcare have all improved on their 2011 figure, a pattern reflected at many hospitals across London.

The highest score among the capital’s acute hospital trusts was the Hillingdon Hospitals Foundation Trust at 86 per cent, followed by University College London Hospitals Foundation Trust (83 per cent) and Guy’s and St Thomas’ Foundation Trust (82 per cent) — compared with a national average of 60 per cent.

Shadow health secretary Andy Burnham said many hospitals in London were scoring badly in the Government’s own key NHS test.

But Averil Dongworth, chief executive of BHRUH, stressed its staff survey had shown “improvements across the board”. She added: “It is particularly pleasing that we are among the top 20 per cent of trusts nationally for staff feeling satisfied with the quality of work and patient care they are delivering.”

John Goulston, chief executive of the Croydon hospital, said the trust had made improvements and was “definitely heading in the right direction in many areas”.

A health department spokesman said: “The majority of staff would be happy for a friend or relative to be treated by their trust.”

A North Middlesex University Hospital Trust spokeswoman said: “Clearly we are concerned that half of our staff who completed last year's survey would not recommend the North Middlesex to friends and family for treatment and we are working hard to remedy this.

"This year will see £80 million worth of investment in new facilities and additional clinical staffing at the hospital, providing a first rate environment in which staff will be empowered to deliver excellent care and experience to patients, and we believe that as a result staff will feel more able to recommend the hospital to friends and family."