Members of the public and staff have been helping us see Airedale through the eyes of patients as part of this year’s PLACE (Patient-Led Assessments of the Care Environment).

PLACE assessments look at areas including cleanliness, food and hydration, privacy and dignity, accessibility and the overall hospital environment, helping identify what is working well and where improvements could be made.

Patient assessors Wendy McQuillan and Debra Gilderdale, alongside staff assessor Carolyn Zeyrek, recently visited wards and departments across Airedale. They praised the teamwork they saw, the hospital environment and the commitment of cleaning teams, as well as the feedback they heard from patients about their experience.

This year also saw several familiar faces return.

Karen Starkie took part for her third year, alongside Kal Kaur, who returned for her second. Both spoke positively about how well organised the assessments were and valued being able to look at the hospital with a “fresh pair of eyes”, including seeing where previous feedback had already made a difference.

Mother and daughter Ruth and Esta Watson also returned for their fifth year. Esta sees taking part as an opportunity to give something back to a hospital that has done so much for her and her health, while Ruth values the insight PLACE provides into how a hospital operates beyond what patients ordinarily see.

Kayliegh Bowers, Quality and Assurance Manager at AGH Solutions, said: “A huge thank you to our public and staff assessors for giving their time, and to colleagues across the hospital for making our assessors feel so welcome.

“PLACE gives us a valuable opportunity to see our hospital through the eyes of the people who use it and identify where we can make the patient experience even better.”

Dennis Kentrop, Managing Director of AGH Solutions, added: “I’d like to add my thanks to all our PLACE assessors for giving up their time and sharing such valuable feedback. It’s particularly encouraging to hear that returning assessors can see where previous feedback has made a difference.

“PLACE gives us a valuable fresh perspective and helps us understand what matters to patients and visitors, both now and as we look to the future.”