Royal Stoke University Hospital and County Hospital, Stafford, have scored above the national average for cleanliness and maintenance in a recent assessment.

For the third year in a row, University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust's (UHNM) two hospitals both scored above the national average in NHS England's 2025 Patient-Led Assessments of the Care Environment (PLACE).

The cleanliness of the Royal Stoke University Hospital received a score of 99.84 per cent, higher than the national average of 98.55 per cent, while the condition, maintenance and appearance of County Hospital scored 99.27 per cent, compared to the national average of 97.00 per cent. 

Lorraine Whitehead, director of estates, facilities and PFI at UHNM, said: "Achieving above national average scores across our services for the third year running is an outstanding achievement. 

"Our Estates, Facilities and PFI colleagues, including our cleaners, porters, maintenance teams, gardeners, catering teams and many others play an absolutely vital role in the running of our hospitals.

"Their work is often behind the scenes, but its impact is felt by every single patient and colleague who walks through our doors."

PLACE inspections involve local patient representatives visiting hospitals to assess standards of cleanliness, building maintenance, disability access and ward food.

The inspectors found Royal Stoke to be "clean and tidy overall, and despite being very busy, Royal Stoke provides a calm and comfortable environment for patients with positive first and lasting impressions."

advertisement

Ruth Freeman, business director for Sodexo Health & Care at Royal Stoke said: "It's fantastic to see our efforts recognised in this year's scores.

"Maintaining a clean and safe environment for our patients is our top priority, and I'm proud of the whole team for their dedication and hard work in achieving this result."

At UHNMs other hospital, County Hospital, the facilities were described as "clean, well maintained, and organised areas provide a peaceful environment for the delivery of excellent patient care." 

Steve Brown, senior estates manager at County Hospital, said: "These scores are a real testament to the dedication and professionalism of our estates and facilities teams.

"Maintaining a well-presented, safe and welcoming environment is essential for patient care, and I'm proud of everyone's hard work in achieving results above the national average."