Wigan's hospitals provide some of the best non-clinical support to disabled patients in England

The patient-led assessment of the care environment is an annual survey of NHS patients, who review the care they received across a variety of topics, including privacy, food, and cleanliness.

It shows Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust (WWL) scored 99 per cent for the non-clinical support it provided to disabled patients in 2022-23 – among the highest ratings in the country: up slightly from the year before’s 98 per cent.

Nationally, 84 per cent of patients with a disability were satisfied with the level of non-clinical care they received last year – a slight increase on 83 per cent in 2022.

Non-clinical support includes accessibility, clear signage, and other measures to support the needs of a disabled patient.

Disability Rights UK said while the national picture was generally positive, true experiences of disabled patients may differ due to high staff vacancies and lower expectations.

Its head of policy Fazilet Had said the figures should be treated with caution.

She added: "Where staffing is under pressure, care and support becomes more transactional, as time for communication, personalised support and empathy is in short supply.

"We also need to consider whether expectations of care by disabled people are lower than they should be and whether disabled people feel they need to be loyal to those providing essential support."

The figures also showed non-clinical support for WWL dementia patients was scored at 98 per cent.

The food supplied was scored at 96 per cent, while the cleanliness of the facilities was rated perfectly.