[July 30, 2014]

HATS: Service With A Smile - Why Friendly Staff Take the Pain out of Hospital Visits

We all feel nervous about visiting hospital but patients say caring staff are very important when it comes to making the process bearable.

According to a major new survey, commissioned by patient transport provider HATS, being looked after for by the right people is the thing we value most about care.

The research, found that friendly service was the aspect people valued most of all - with 34 per cent saying it enhanced their experience.

And almost one in five of us (18 per cent) said having access to specialist transport made hospital visits less distressing.

A further 16 per cent were impressed by the punctuality of the transport, while 14 per cent were reassured by the standard of care they received, and 12 per cent valued the continuity that came with seeing the same member of staff.

HATS research also found that one in ten (nine per cent) patients said peace of mind and not having to worry about making travel arrangements themselves meant the most to them, while seven per cent liked the fact that they could us a local specialist.

As such 94 per cent of all those questioned in the nationwide survey said they would probably recommend the company they use to others.

And for many people the service is considered an essential one - with almost a third (31 per cent) admitting they wouldn't be able to access emergency care at all without it.

Another third - 30 per cent - admitted they could be forced to miss vital appointments if they didn't have the support of the patient transport network.

A further 15 per cent worried that their medical needs would be 'severely compromised' if they didn't have access to the service.

One in three of all those quizzed said that without the help of specialist transport providers they would be forced to rely on family and friends for help.

Speaking about the findings, HATS CEO, Henry Bilinski, says: "We work hard to make patients' lives easier so it is good to hear the positive impact our service makes.

"We take customer feedback seriously and what this research shows very clearly is that offering professional, specialist support can make a huge difference to people's experience and ultimately, treatment."

Healthcare and Transport Services (HATS) is the specialised transport service provider to the public sector, in both the healthcare and education industries, within Greater London and the adjacent counties.

Our current spectrum of services incorporates the school, social care and patient transport arenas.

HATS has established a reputation for the delivery of affordable and sustainable transport solution, especially for the high-cost areas of Special Education Needs and Patient Transport Services.

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