The Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has been rated the top-performing trust in the South West for inpatient experience in the latest Care Quality Commission (CQC) Adult Inpatient Survey (2024), released Tuesday 9 September 2025.

The national survey asks patients aged 16 and over about their experiences during a recent stay in hospital, on an adult inpatient ward. It covers everything from admission and treatment to communication, cleanliness, and discharge.

A total of 523 patients from the Royal Devon shared their feedback and we extend a huge thank you to everyone who took the time to complete the survey. 

In the South West, the Royal Devon ranked first in 8 of 11 key areas of patient experience making the Royal Devon the top-performing trust in the region for inpatient experience, a result we are extremely proud of.

Where we performed best

Patients said they had particularly positive experiences in areas that reflect the Trust’s commitment to compassionate, safe, and high-quality care, including:

• Being treated with kindness and compassion
• Feeling treated with respect and dignity
• Trust and confidence in the doctors caring for them
• Cleanliness and comfort of the hospital ward
• Consistent communication from staff
• Overall experience of their hospital stay

Continuing to improve

While there were no areas where the Royal Devon scored below the national average, a few areas have been identified where patients felt their experience could be better, such as noise on wards, communication around discharge, and dietary needs. Our teams are already working on ways to make positive changes in these areas.

Bev Allingham, Director of Nursing Northern Services said: "These results are a powerful reflection of the care, compassion, and professionalism shown by staff across the Royal Devon. We’re proud of the culture we’ve built together, one that puts people first and ensures patients are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve. I’d like to thank our teams for everything they do, and our patients for trusting us with their care."

Read the full Royal Devon 2024 CQC Adult Inpatient Survey results. 

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regularly undertakes patient facing surveys to find out what people think of the NHS healthcare services they use. The results help assess NHS performance, and the CQC uses them for regulatory activities such as registration, monitoring ongoing compliance and reviews.