Press release – issued 29 July 2026
2026/011
Call for volunteers to inspect local hospitals food and cleanliness
Members of the public are invited to inspect Hereford County Hospital and the local community hospitals this Autumn, as part of a Patient Led Assessment of the Care Environment (PLACE).
Wye Valley NHS Trust is calling on patient, former patients, their families, carers, and people who have experience of their local hospitals to come along and take part in the PLACE inspections from a patient’s perspective.
The national Patient Led Assessment of the Care Environment programme, involves inspections of hospital facilities focusing on non-clinical areas, including how the care environment supports patients’ privacy and dignity, food tasting, checking cleanliness and general building maintenance and decor.
The Trust will provide a short training session for those taking part, which will include guidance on their role and purpose of the PLACE programme. Approximately two days of volunteer’s time, which includes the training, will be needed for the unannounced inspection dates taking place this Autumn across the four hospital sites in Herefordshire – Hereford County Hospital, Ross, Leominster and Bromyard Community Hospitals.
Lucy Flanagan, chief nursing officer at Wye Valley NHS Trust, said: “We are pleased to invite members of the public to assess our hospitals healthcare environments from a patient’s perspective. We evaluate the non-clinical aspects of the services we provide in several ways, and the PLACE inspections are an important part of this. This real time insight and impartial feedback from those taking part will help us to further improve patient experience in our hospitals.
“We invite expressions of interest to take part in these inspections, by email to volunteering@wvt.nhs.uk or call us on 01432 355444 ext 5519.”
Guidance from the NHS Commissioning Board stipulates that current hospital staff, and those who have worked for the hospital in the last two years, cannot become members of the inspection teams.
Ends
Notes to Editors WVT:
- Wye Valley NHS Trust is a provider of health services across Herefordshire and beyond. The Trust exists to improve the wellbeing, independence and health of the people we serve.
- By working closely with our partners, we can make good our promise to deliver a quality of care we would want for ourselves, our families and our friends.
- With an estimated annual turnover of around £400 million, we employ around 4,000 staff. We aim to build new relationships between our staff, patients, service users and their carers with the wider community.
For further information please contact:
Fiona Gurney, communications officer, or John Burnett, Communication and Engagement Manager, Wye Valley NHS Trust: 01432 372928