NHS hospital patients report improvements in communication and involvement, but support around and following discharge remains a challenge

The care that people experience as inpatients in NHS hospitals improved between 2024 and 2025, according to survey data published today. The 2025 Adult Inpatient Survey, coordinated by Picker on behalf of the Care Quality Commission (CQC), collected more than 58,000 and showed improvements in patients' experiences of interactions with staff and involvement in decisions. However, challenges remain around discharge from hospital and access to support after leaving.

 

Interactions with staff

Nearly eight in ten respondents (79%) said they ‘always’ had confidence and trust in the nurses treating them, up from 78% in 2024 but still lower than the 83% seen in 2020.

The survey found a longer-term improvement in emotional support, with 62% saying they ‘always’ felt able to talk to staff about their worries and fears, up from 59% in 2021 and back to the level reported in 2020. Despite this improvement, many patients still did not consistently feel able to discuss their worries and fears with staff.

Involvement in care

More than three-quarters of patients (77%) said doctors ‘always’ included them in conversations about their care, the highest result recorded in the past six years and up from 74% in 2020. A similarly high proportion (77%) said nurses ‘always’ included them in conversations about their care.

More than a third of respondents (38%) said hospital staff involved them ‘a great deal’ in decisions about their care, the highest result recorded in the past six years and up from 37% in 2020. Despite this improvement, there is still room to strengthen involvement in care decisions.

Discharge and support at home

The survey highlights ongoing challenges around discharge from hospital and care after patients return home.

  • Fewer than half of patients (48%) who felt it was necessary said their family members or carers were given the information they needed to help care for them at home
  • Only 47% said they ‘definitely’ got enough support from health or social care services to help them recover or manage their condition after leaving hospital

Differences in experience between groups

People living with frailty and those admitted as an emergency reported worse than average experiences across all areas analysed, including help from staff, involvement in decisions, discharge planning, and overall experience.

 

Jenny King, Chief Research Officer at Picker, said:

 

"It is encouraging to see continued improvements in several aspects of inpatient care, particularly around communication with staff and involving patients in discussions about their care.

“At the same time, the results highlight persistent challenges around discharge and ongoing support at home. As the NHS looks to shift more care from hospitals into community settings, it will be vital to ensure that care is coordinated across services so that patients receive the support they need throughout their care journey.

“As the NHS evolves, this survey provides an important way of understanding whether changes are translating into better experiences for patients."

 

-ENDS-

 

Notes to editors

  • For media enquiries, please contact Marketing and Communications team at [email protected], or phone: 01865 632 235.
  • The 2025 Adult Inpatient Survey was coordinated by Picker on behalf of the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Picker is a health and care research charity with a vision of the highest quality person centred care for all, always. The Care Quality Commission is the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England.
  • The Adult Inpatient Survey 2025 considers the experiences of people aged 16 and over who stayed in hospital for at least one night during November 2025. Fieldwork took place between January and April 2026. A total of 58,139 people responded to the survey, representing a response rate of 38%.
  • Details about how the survey was administered and full results are available from https://nhssurveys.org/surveys/survey/02-adults-inpatients/year/2025/
  • Picker's team of researchers and data scientists are available to support organisations in understanding, measuring, and using workforce and user experience. For queries about our services or to request a call, please contact [email protected].