SAFETY and hygiene levels, the names of senior nurses and the number of staff on duty are among details now available at a glance to patients at Croydon University Hospital.
Large information boards have gone on prominent display in wards across the hospital.
They feature important information, such as safety scores, and will be updated regularly in a bid to improve care, said Croydon Health Services (CHS).
It said the scheme – dubbed the 'ward boards' initiative - will mean more frequent checks to ensure patients have food, drink and pain relief.
The name and photograph of the nurse in charge of the ward will also be displayed and the boards will also detail the number of staff on duty in each ward compared to recommended levels.
Patients will also be able to tell at a glance how the ward is rated for safety, infection control and hygiene.
Zoe Packman, director of nursing for CHS, said making this information easily accesible will help drive up standards.
"The 'ward boards' put patient safety, care and attention right at the top for all to see," she said.
"We want everyone to see immediately on entering on our wards that everything we do is about giving patients better care.
"These boards put the information our nurses need clearly on display for all visitors to see how well they are doing.
"It also supports a culture of continuous improvement on our wards by listening to what our patients, visitors and staff tell us."
CHS will hope the information boards will lead to improved patient experience scores, one of several areas the Care Quality Commission (CQC) urged the trust to address following an inspection last September. It is in the process of finalising plans for a £17.5 million refurbishment of its cramped and out-of-date A&E department, another issue highlighted by the CQC.
The trust said information displayed on the boards would be reviewed and updated at regular meetings, where staff working on each ward would come together to monitor the care of every patient and agree the best course of action for those staff on shift.
Sandra Simon, manager of Purley 1 ward, said the boards would enable her to "invest more time into making patient experience better".
"I can have more time to attend to their needs," she added.
The boards are in use in seven wards so far and will be rolled out across the rest of the hospital in phases.
