West Suffolk A&E department is among the best in the country according to an independent survey of patients.

Emergency treatment at a Suffolk hospital is amongst the best in the country, according to an independent survvey.

The A&E department at West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds is performing better than most NHS trusts in several areas according to the Care Quality Commission's (CQC) latest urgent and emergency care survey.

The survey found the hospital, operated by West Suffolk Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (WSFT), matched the highest trust score in England for the availability of help from members of staff while patients were waiting in the emergency department, and also the overall score for waiting times in the emergency department.

The survey also showed the trust scoring highly across categories including patients' respect and dignity, their experience with doctors and nurses, and their overall care and treatment.

The trust performed better than most in the country in how patients were treated on arrival at A&E, waiting times, hospital environment and facilities, and leaving A&E.

Helen Beck, chief operating officer at WSFT, said: "We're really proud of these scores, which show that patients are having a positive, high-quality experience in our emergency department.

"We have significantly improved from the 2016 survey, and are performing better compared to most other trusts in the country in a number of areas.

"This is a real credit to the quality care our staff provide. They continue to go the extra mile, despite seeing around a 10% increase in attendances to our emergency department year on year.

"However, there is always room for improvement, and we want to continue to ensure that all patients have the best experience when they visit our emergency department."

Compared to the results from the survey conducted in 2016, the trust has improved in seven categories, and remained stable in the rest.

The survey was conducted in September 2018 and out of all the patients who attended the trust's urgent and emergency care services that month, a random sample of patients were selected to complete the survey, with 436 responses received.

For more information about the hospital's results go to the CQC website.