Hospital care in “top league”

Patients in Switzerland are among the most satisfied with hospital care, according to an international study.

The survey compared 15 countries, 11 within Europe and four outside, and found that hospital staff were also generally happy with their working conditions.

The RN4CAST (Nursing forecasting in Europe) report is supported by the European Union, with the Swiss part being carried out by the Institute of Nursing Science at Basel University.

It found that 58 per cent of the patients surveyed in Swiss hospitals were satisfied with the care, compared with a 48 per cent average.

The number of staff dissatisfied in their jobs was lower than in most other countries, although the study noted differences across the 35 hospitals surveyed in Switzerland. The authors recommended that measures be carried out in hospitals where satisfaction was lower.

Workplace attractiveness is key to retaining staff especially in the light of future personal shortages, the university said on Friday. But overall, Switzerland was “excellently positioned to tackle all the impending challenges in medical care”.