Stoke: Patients slam dirty hospital

The condition of wards, toilets and bathrooms at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire has been criticised by patients in two separate surveys.

One was carried out on behalf of the Healthcare Commission (HC) while the other was from people contacted by the hospital's patients advice services.

The HC - the independent inspection body for the NHS - called for a review of the cleaning contracts at the hospital in the wake of the concerns raised by the survey.

The patients in both surveys also raised concerns about catering at the hospital but described staff as excellent.

The findings were based on the HC survey in which 461 patients out of 850 polled at the Hartshill complex filled in questionnaires, and from 223 people who completed so-called "feedback forms" issued to 40 wards and departments through its patient advice liaison service (PALS).