Date published: 26 August 2026
Patients across the North East and North Cumbria have praised the care, kindness and support they received in hospital, according to the latest national NHS survey.
The findings come from the latest Adult Inpatient Survey. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) runs the survey each year. It asked patients about their stay in hospital in November 2025.
More than 58,000 patients from 130 NHS trusts in England took part. They answered questions about their care from the day they arrived to the day they went home.
Many patients said NHS staff were kind and caring. They said staff treated them well. Scores for respect and dignity ranged from 9.1 to 9.5 out of 10. Scores for kindness and compassion ranged from 8.8 to 9.5 out of 10.
Some trusts in our region did better than expected when compared with other NHS trusts. Good results were seen for patient care, treatment and support when people left hospital.
(Patients praised the care and support provided by NHS staff across the North East and North Cumbria in the latest Adult Inpatient Survey.)
The results reflect the work of staff across:
- Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust
- North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust
- South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust
- County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust
- North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust
- South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Patients also gave good ratings to doctors and nurses. Many said staff listened to them. They said staff included them in choices about their care.
The survey found some areas had got better. Patients said it was easier to get help from staff. More people said they got help with meals and medicines when they needed it.
The survey also showed where more work is needed. Some patients wanted more help when they left hospital. Others said family members and carers should be more involved when plans are made for going home. Some people said they needed more help after they left hospital.
The trusts in the Provider Collaborative work together across the North East and North Cumbria. They share ideas and learn from each other. This helps make care better for patients.
Matt Brown, Managing Director of the North East and North Cumbria Provider Collaborative, said:
"It is good to see so many patients sharing positive views about their hospital care.
"These results show the skill, care and hard work of NHS staff. Every day, our teams work hard to give safe care to patients and their families.
"Working together helps us learn from each other and make services better across our region.
"We are proud of these results, but we know there is more to do. We will keep listening to patients and using their views to make care better."
The survey helps trusts understand what matters most to patients. Trusts across the region will use the results to make services better and build on what already works well.
