Shepton Mallet NHS Treatment Centre continues to be a hit with patients, as they have given the hospital the highest marks across all departments in the national Friends and Family Test – making it one of the best-performing hospitals in the country.

The 1,031 patients who completed the survey at the hospital throughout the month of January gave it a perfect score of 100 per cent for every single department covered by the Friends and Family Test.

All providers of health care are required to carry out the Friends and Family Test as part of the NHS' commitment to improving the patient experience.

Patients are asked to rate their care based on the likelihood that they would recommend it to their friends and family.

Shepton Mallet NHS Treatment Centre was the first hospital of its kind to be rated Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission across the five domains of the quality mark.

It recently outperformed the national average in the annual Patient-Led Assessment of the Care Environment audit, and another national patient audit, the Patient Reported Outcome Measures, identified the hospital as top in the country for hip replacements, and in the top five per cent for knee placements last year.

Andrew Oakerbee, hospital director at Shepton Mallet NHS Treatment Centre, said: "My thanks go to our patients who completed the Friends and Family Test.

"Their input is vital to helping us maintain our high standards of care."