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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Background, objectives and methodology
1. The Scottish Government (formally known as the Scottish Executive) Health Property and Capital Planning Division conducted a review of the provision of single room accommodation for in-patients within the NHS estate in Scotland. This has highlighted a lack of information about the needs and wants of the Scottish population in relation to single room accommodation, and consequently this survey was commissioned to explore the issue.
2. The specific research objectives were to:
- assess people's accommodation preferences;
- explore people's opinions on where different groups should stay;
- examine perceived benefits and risks;
- examine awareness of current hospital accommodation.
3. Research was conducted by TNS System Three using the Scottish Opinion Survey ( SOS) with fieldwork taking place between 23rd and 28th November 2006. In total, 990 interviews were achieved in 43 constituencies throughout Scotland - the sample being representative of the adult population of Scotland both demographically and geographically. The SOS was conducted using Computer Aided Personal Interviewing ( CAPI).
Key findings
4. The majority of respondents had some experience of hospitals in the last five years - either as in-patients (37%), visiting friends or relatives (76%), or in the course of their work (8%). In total, almost a quarter (24%) had personally stayed in a smaller multi bed ward (up to six people) as an in-patient, 13% in a single room, and 7% in a large ward (7+ people). Regarding visiting in-patients, 50% had visited friends or relatives in a smaller multi-bed ward, 27% in a single room, and 17% in a larger multi-bed ward. Linked to this, the majority of the sample (60%) felt that the smaller multi-bed wards were most common, followed by larger multi-bed wards (32%) and single rooms (5%).
5. If admitted as an in-patient, the most frequently preferred type of accommodation would be a single room (41%), followed by people saying that they didn't mind (27%). Smaller multi-bed wards (22%) and larger multi-bed wards (3%) were considered less desirable. Looking at the sample based on their preferences, patterns of response by those who 'don't mind' and those who prefer smaller multi-bedded wards were similar throughout.
6. Previous experience of types of hospital accommodation makes little difference to future preferences, although those who have stayed in or visited a smaller multi-bed ward are slightly more likely to prefer to stay in one should they be an in-patient in the future. Preference for single room accommodation increased with social grade (30% of those in the DE group increasing to 58% of ABs), and the younger age groups were also more likely to prefer this type of accommodation. (49% of those aged 16-34 falling to 28% of those aged 65 and over).
7. The perceived advantages of staying in a single room were more privacy (75%) and that it would be less noisy (34%) - both more likely to be cited by those who would prefer to stay in a single room. The major disadvantage given was that you would feel isolated or lack company (69%) - in particular from those who would prefer to stay in a multi-bed ward. In conjunction with this, the major advantage of a multi-bed ward given was that you feel less isolated and have more company (78%), and the stated disadvantages were that you have less privacy (56%) and it is more noisy (48%). Those who preferred single rooms were more likely to see disadvantages of multi-bed rooms, and those who preferred multi-bed rooms were more likely to see disadvantages of single rooms.
8. The main groups that the sample felt should stay in a single room were those who are seriously ill (57%), those who are dying (27%), and people who have an infectious disease (24%). Only 11% felt that everyone should stay in a single room. The main groups that the sample felt should stay in a multi-bed room were people who were in hospital for a routine procedure (27%) and everyone (26%).
9. Despite the fact that the largest proportion of respondents would prefer to stay in single room accommodation, there was an acceptance that resources would not allow everybody to do so. There was little agreement overall about what sorts of groups should stay in single versus multiple accommodation, suggesting that people do not have very strong feelings on this topic. Although they tend to feel that the judgement should be made based on severity of illness, this could reflect the pattern of allocation they have personally observed in the NHS today.
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