PATIENT satisfaction with aspects of Airedale Hospital has dropped, new figures reveal.

People’s rating of the condition, appearance and maintenance at the Steeton site suffered a 16 per cent-plus year-on-year drop to 77.17 per cent, and there were reduced scores in other areas.

But it improved in food (94.97 per cent) and its dementia care was rated above the national average at 77.44 per cent.

Patient-Led Assessments of the Care Environment (Place) asks users to rate aspects of hospitals.

If a health organisation scored 100 per cent, they got top marks from all patients, said a spokesman for the Health and Social Care Information Centre, which published the results.

Stacey Hunter, director of operations at Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We welcome this audit as another opportunity to be given a view of our hospital through the eyes of our patients.

“The results and comments made have been taken very seriously as they highlight to us any needs and expectations of our patients that are not being met. We are working with our Patient Environment Action Group on an action plan to address them.

“The slight reduction in scores this year is due in part to a change of criteria for assessment and the audit focusing on areas of the hospital that have yet to be refurbished.”

Bradford District Care Trust, which runs the Centre for Mental Health in the grounds of Airedale Hospital, scored slightly less than last year in every category except food (98.98 per cent).

It also scored above the national average in each of the five sections apart from cleanliness (96.55 per cent).

Andrew Morris, deputy director of estates and facilities, said: “Having a safe, clean and comfortable environment can make a huge difference in helping service users to feel better. We are very pleased our Place results are telling us we are achieving this.

“We know there are always further improvements we can make, and will consider the recommendations of the assessors to see how these can be best met.”

Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Bradford Royal Infirmary and St Luke’s, saw patient satisfaction increase year-on-year in three out of four categories.

The trust improved in cleanliness (98.10 per cent), food (80.67 per cent) and privacy, dignity and wellbeing (85.32 per cent), but saw a drop in satisfaction with condition, appearance and maintenance (86.31 per cent).

Cleanliness was above the national average of 97.57 per cent, but the other three were below the average. Dementia care (80.77 per cent), which was rated for the first time this year, was above the national average of 74.51 per cent.

Victoria Simmons, communications manager at Healthwatch Bradford and District, welcomed the survey.

She added: “Healthwatch is all about giving local people a stronger voice to influence the health and social care services that matter to them.”