Patients at north Cumbria's hospitals have praised the care they received in a high-profile feedback survey.

Results of the National Adult Inpatient Survey 2017 have been published by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Bosses at North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust (NCUH), which runs the Carlisle and Whitehaven hospitals, were pleased to see many of its scores improve since 2016.

Patients, who were treated at either the Cumberland Infirmary or West Cumberland Hospital, gave the trust an average score of 77 per cent, compared to 75 per cent the previous year.

The trust's results were also among the top 20 per cent nationally in 20 of the 62 questions.

Chief executive, Stephen Eames, said the results were due to the dedication of staff across the trust.

In those areas where issues were identified, he pledged to look at how these could be improved.

A total of 1,200 surveys were sent to patients who used the emergency departments and were admitted to inpatient wards at the Carlisle and Whitehaven hospitals.

On these, almost half - 540 patients - submitted their feedback to the CQC.

The survey covered a wide range of topics such as waiting times, privacy and dignity, cleanliness, the standard of care, staffing levels and discharge arrangements.

The responses were then converted into scores out of 10 for each question and compared against those from other trusts.

Areas where NCUH was rated within the 20 per cent included whether patients felt involved in decisions regarding their discharge; whether families were provided with all the information they needed; and patients' views on the quality of their care.

Many of the comments received praised staff for their hard work, professionalism and caring nature.

Areas with the lowest scores included hospital food and information received, including about the side effects of medication, on discharge from hospital.

Mr Eames said: “Our staff are working tirelessly to provide the highest level of care for our patients and I am delighted with the results of this survey which demonstrate high levels of satisfaction.

"While we will celebrate the results with our staff, we will also be focusing on areas where we still need to improve.

“I would also like to thank everyone who took the time to complete the survey.

"This feedback is invaluable in ensuring we make continuous improvements in our services for our patients.

“Steps are already being taken to address some of the areas highlighted for improvement including ensuring that all patients have the right information when they leave hospital and that their care does not stop once they are discharged.”

Georgia Wright, head of nursing, patient experience and engagement at the trust, added: “We really welcome the feedback from the CQC on behalf of our patients.

"Every member of staff is here to ensure that patients are cared for as if they were a member of their own family.”