Patients with dementia in the care of 2gether NHS Foundation Trust are among the best accommodated in the country, new data shows.

Charities are urging healthcare providers elsewhere in England to make "vital" adjustments to promote independence and reduce the anxiety of hospital visits for patients living with dementia or a disability.

Patient-led evaluations – known as PLACE assessments – are carried out annually in a bid to drive improvement in the quality of patient environments at NHS hospitals and hospices across England.

They involve volunteers going into hospitals as part of teams to rate the non-clinical elements of care, such as catering services and waiting facilities.

Areas including cleanliness, patient privacy and the quality of food are reviewed, alongside the way sites support people with dementia and disabilities.

And the NHS Digital figures reveal that 2gether NHS Foundation Trust scored 91.8% for offering a dementia-friendly environment, in comparison to the national average of 80.7%.

Volunteers determining if a site is dementia-friendly will look at whether floors are plain coloured and non-slippery, signs are clearly visible and the correct day, date and time is visible in patient areas, among several other criteria.

Emma Bould, programme partnerships manager at dementia charity Alzheimer’s Society, said: "We know that staying in hospital can often be a stressful experience, especially for a person with dementia who may be more easily disorientated or confused.

"By listening to patients and making dementia-friendly adaptions to a hospital setting, hospitals can be transformed into safe spaces that will give people a sense of independence and reduce anxiety.

"There are now 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK, and with numbers predicted to double for the next generation, it’s vital that all hospital sites make reasonable adjustments and adopt dementia-friendly practices."

PLACE assessors will also judge the quality of access for disabled people at NHS sites, including whether there are handrails in corridors and at least one toilet large enough for a wheelchair and carer.

2gether NHS Foundation Trust scored 83.3% for how it accommodates disabled people – the national average was 82.5%.

NHS data shows that more than a third of trusts are not meeting the national average for dementia, while more than 40% are falling below the national figure for disability. The national average incorporates scores from private, independent and voluntary providers which also took part in PLACE assessments.

A spokesman for charity Disability Rights UK said: "This situation is unbelievable, particularly given the number of disabled people who will be visiting hospitals.

"We urge NHS Trusts to act to make their environments accessible to all as a priority."

How did 2gether NHS Foundation Trust score in its latest PLACE assessment?

Cleanliness - 100%

Food - 90.6%

Patients' privacy, dignity and wellbeing - 95%

Condition, appearance and maintenance - 99%

Dementia-friendly - 91.8%

Disability-friendly - 83.3%