Patient Environment Action Team (PEAT) data 2009

PEAT is an annual assessment of inpatient healthcare sites in England with more than ten beds.

PEAT is self assessed and inspects standards across a range of services including food, cleanliness, infection control and patient environment (including bathroom areas, décor, lighting, floors and patient areas).

The assessment was established in 2000 (managed by the NPSA since 2006) and is a benchmarking tool to ensure improvements are made in the non-clinical aspects of a patient’s healthcare experience. PEAT highlights areas for improvement and shares best practice across the NHS.

NHS organisations are each given scores from 1 (unacceptable) to 5 (excellent) for standards of privacy and dignity, environment and food within their buildings. The NPSA publish these results every year to all NHS organisations, as well as stakeholders, the media and the general public.

In 2009, 1,265 sites from 321 trusts took part in the PEAT assessment.

National PEAT scores 2009

	Excellent	Good	Acceptable	Poor	Unacceptable
Environment	302 sites (24%)	761 sites (60%)	190 sites (15%)	9 sites (1%)	3 sites (less than 1%)
Food	688 sites (58%)	437 sites (37%)	62 sites (5%)	2 sites (less than 1%)	1 sites (less than 1%)
Privacy and Dignity	551 sites (44%)	634 sites (50%)	77 sites (6%)	1 sites (less than 1%)	2 sites (less than 1%)

* 75 sites registered as self catering and were therefore not assessed for food. Self catering is defined as ‘patients make a significant contribution to preparing the food’, such as in rehabilitation units.

Each inspection is carried out by a team of PEAT assessors which includes nurses, matrons, doctors, catering and domestic service managers, executive and non-executive directors, dieticians and estate directors. They also include patients, patient representatives and members of the public.