The main hospital trust serving Barnet scored 95% for the non-clinical support it provided to disabled patients in 2022/23, reports Andrew Dowdeswell, Data Reporter

The bottom half of a wheelchair. — Nationally, 84% of patients with a disability were satisfied with the level of non-clinical care they received last year – (Credit – NHS)

The Royal Free London provides some of the best non-clinical support to disabled patients in England, new figures show.

Disability Rights UK said while the national picture was generally positive, true experiences of disabled patients may differ due to high staff vacancies and lower expectations.

The patient-led assessment of the care environment is an annual survey of NHS patients, who review the care they received across a variety of topics, including privacy, food, and cleanliness.

It shows Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust scored 95% for the non-clinical support it provided to disabled patients in 2022-23 – among the highest ratings in the country.

This was up from the year before, when disability services were rated at 87%.

Nationally, 84% of patients with a disability were satisfied with the level of non-clinical care they received last year – a slight increase on 83% in 2022.

Non-clinical support includes accessibility, clear signage, and other measures to support the needs of a disabled patient.

Fazilet Hadi, head of policy at Disability Rights UK said the figures are “positive” but should be treated with caution.

She added: “Where staffing is under pressure, care and support becomes more transactional, as time for communication, personalised support and empathy is in short supply.

“We also need to consider whether expectations of care by disabled people are lower than they should be and whether disabled people feel they need to be loyal to those providing essential support.”

The figures also showed non-clinical support for dementia patients at the Royal Free London was scored at 92%.

The food supplied was scored at 94%, while the cleanliness of the facilities was rated perfectly.

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