Patient Journeys Ward 39, Royal Lancaster Hospital
Download (PDF 168.85 KB)Summary of report content
The report outlines a Healthwatch Lancashire project carried out in February 2015, in which five patients’ journeys were observed on Ward 39 at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary over six consecutive days to assess patient experiences following recent service improvements.
The work was undertaken in response to earlier Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspections in 2013–2014, which found staffing shortages and concerns about the quality and safety of care on the ward, even though staff were committed and compassionate.
Following these inspections, the hospital trust introduced a range of improvements, including appointing a new ward manager, strengthening clinical leadership, revising staffing levels, introducing zoning to organise care by specialty, and increasing administrative and nursing support to improve consistency and quality of care.
Healthwatch Lancashire recommended reviewing patient journeys to independently assess whether these changes had improved patient experiences, and this approach was accepted by the trust and commissioners.
The methodology involved a Healthwatch representative visiting the ward over six days, including evenings and weekends, and conducting semi-structured one-to-one interviews with patients to gather detailed qualitative insights into their experiences.
The findings highlighted both positive feedback from patients and families and recurring themes where further improvements were needed, and the results were shared with senior leadership and ward staff.
As a result of the report, the hospital implemented several additional changes, such as introducing patient information boards, creating clearer guidance on how to raise concerns or complaints, launching a “Sleep Well” campaign, reviewing staffing across the full week, and reinforcing staff responsibilities in patient care.
Overall, the project demonstrated how collecting and acting on patient feedback can lead to tangible improvements in care quality, and it was sufficiently impactful that the trust requested a repeat of the work later in 2015.