Devizes Surgical Centre has received practically perfect marks from patients in 2020 despite the pandemic.

As the hospital is open for patients with appointments during the latest pandemic, the general manager has reminded patients to be patient and to stick to COVID guidelines in the coming weeks.

The Friends & Family test, which asks patients if they would recommend a service to a friend or family member needing NHS treatment, is the government’s preferred measure of patient satisfaction.

Official figures just published for 2020 reveal that 99.2 per cent of the hospital’s patients would recommend the service. The centre’s endoscopy service received a 100 per cent backing for its professional and sensitive service, providing diagnostic imaging at a time when patients may feel anxious or vulnerable.

General manager Lisa Self said: “We are delighted that we have been able to offer many of our usual services and that patients are pleased with the treatment they receive. We get many letters of thanks from patients and their relatives praising the caring and professional nature of everyone who works here.”

The cause for concern for the remaining 0.8 per cent was the time spent waiting to go into their appointment.

Lisa said: “I am sorry some people experienced delays and I can promise we work hard to keep appointments to time.

"Occasionally a patient may need longer with mobility issues and during the pandemic we have taken stringent measures to ensure that rooms are kept sanitised between appointments to maintain our COVID-secure pathway.

“As we work through this latest lockdown I’d like to reassure patients that we are here for you and I’d ask you to bear with us if there is a longer than usual wait – we will get you in with the consultant or diagnostic imagining technicians as quickly and as safely as possible.”