PEOPLE across West Wales have voted ‘caring staff’ as the most important element when staying in hospital.

A new survey, conducted by BMI Werndale Hospital in West Wales, focused on attitude towards caring for others and how people view professions that deliver care.

The survey also indicates how social media is fast becoming the most popular way to stay in touch with people.

With just days until Christmas, the ‘Care’ survey revealed there is plenty to be cheery about as we head into the season of good will, as residents across West Wales believe people would be prepared to perform a selfless act to help someone else. Of those surveyed 67% believed most people would help someone who had fallen in the street. It seems there are some favourite ways for people in West Wales to reach out to someone to show they care. 13% said they would ‘ask someone if they were ok or how they were feeling’, 13% said they would be a good listener, but it was giving someone a hug that came out on top with 27%.

The survey highlighted how we look to certain professions to deliver care when it is needed. Nursing proved to be the profession that is most associated with care 53%, with other caring professions including firefighters (20%) and paramedics (6.7%).

Director of Nursing at BMI Werndale Hospital, Gaynor Llewelyn said: “The survey reveals some reassuring information about the community where we live and work. It is good to know that residents across West Wales believe reaching out to others is still an important part of their busy lives.”

Those who responded to the survey were very clear about the most important requirement during a stay in hospital. Whilst 20% said they would look for clean facilities, 80% said it was the caring staff that was their most important requirement.

Something 76 year-old Elaine Rees from Llanelli can relate to during her recent stay at BMI Werndale Hospital. Having been admitted for a total hip replacement operation, Elaine was so impressed with the care received, she wanted to show some appreciation so wrote to the team to say thank you:

“I was so impressed with how I was looked after, it really was incredible. The staff throughout the hospital put me at my ease and made my stay at BMI Werndale Hospital extremely comfortable and as worry free as a stay in hospital can be. It was so important to my recovery following the operation; I can’t thank the team enough.”

Gaynor Llewellyn said: “It is always such an amazing gesture for a patient like Elaine to take the time to say thank you to our staff. We never take thank you letters for granted. Everyone in the hospital is made aware of the kind words people express.”

Gaynor added: “It has to be recognised that although our nurses are incredibly caring, the care delivered to our patients is extended throughout the hospital by ALL of our staff. From our receptionists who greet our patients through to the catering staff; everybody here at BMI Werndale Hospital is passionate about care and goes above and beyond to try and make every patient’s stay here as comfortable as possible.

The latest patient survey results for BMI Werndale Hospital speak for themselves with 97% of patients rating the nursing care received at the hospital as either excellent or very good.

Executive Director, Caroline Daymond said: “The patient survey stands as a great insight into how we all perform. We are very proud of our hospital and we make it our priority to work as hard as possible to make each patient’s journey through the hospital as smooth and as compassionate as possible. The results around care are an important indicator of how well we perform across the hospital and we monitor the results very closely.

I would like to thank the team for the continued hard work and for the energy they give. It is also important to realise the need to build on this, which is something we’ll be aiming to do throughout 2014.”

With Christmas fast approaching, it seems the spirit of good will is alive and well in West Wales. The survey revealed when it comes to donating to charity there were multiple ways people donate with 73% of responders saying they would give money. Other ways of donating included:

Time (13%)

Unwanted items (73%)

It seems people across West Wales also believe Wales is the most caring region in the UK with 73%.

The survey revealed how modern forms of communication are becoming ever more important in our lives with 60% saying they are aware if people are struggling or need help through social media. 27% of people chose to stay in touch with friends and neighbours by mobile telephone.

Others included:

Popping around for a chat (33%)

Text / What’s App (26%).