Enter and view: Gynaecology Department at King George Hospital

This Healthwatch Barking and Dagenham Enter and View report examined women's experiences of outpatient gynaecology services at King George Hospital, part of Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust. Sixteen women were interviewed during an unannounced visit in December 2025 to understand their experiences of referral, access, care, and treatment. 

Overall, feedback about the service was positive. Most patients reported being treated with dignity, kindness, and respect, with 14 of 15 respondents saying they felt respected during their visit. Patients regularly praised staff for being understanding, caring, informative, and professional. All patients who answered the question on satisfaction reported being either satisfied or very satisfied with the care they received on the day. 

Experiences of accessing the service were more mixed. Ten of sixteen patients described the referral process as easy or very easy, while five reported difficulties. Some patients experienced lost referrals, long waits, repeated appointments, or challenges obtaining investigations and treatment. One patient reported struggling for several years to be taken seriously about symptoms suggestive of endometriosis.

Waiting times for initial appointments varied considerably. Half of respondents received an appointment within one month of referral, but six patients waited longer than three months, including some who waited over nine months or more than a year. Follow-up appointments also varied, with an average gap of around eight months between an initial appointment and a subsequent visit.

Communication before appointments was identified as a weakness. Most patients said they had not been told how long they would wait for an appointment and had not received advice about managing symptoms while waiting. One patient described waiting more than a year after a cancer diagnosis and felt that opportunities for earlier treatment had been missed. 

Most patients felt well informed about their condition and treatment options, with ten of fourteen respondents saying they had received enough information. However, a small number felt information was incomplete or that clinicians could not provide clear answers about their condition.

Although experiences were generally positive, some respondents described previous experiences of stigma or feeling dismissed within women's health services. Examples included feeling talked down to by consultants, not having concerns taken seriously, and feeling judged when requesting pain relief or fertility support.

Patients highlighted high-quality staff, efficient appointments, and clear explanations from doctors as the best aspects of the service. Quick access to scans and proactive staff were also praised. Several patients said they felt listened to and taken seriously for the first time. 

Areas for improvement included appointment scheduling, communication about delays and treatment plans, support for symptom management between appointments, and the professionalism of some staff interactions. A number of patients reported appointment cancellations, difficulties rebooking appointments, and problems linked to NHS system updates. 

Healthwatch's observations of the department were largely positive. The waiting area was comfortable, accessible, and well equipped. Staff were generally helpful, but observers noted two instances where communication could have been more discreet and patient-centred, particularly when discussing sensitive information in a public waiting area. 

The report recommends that GPs provide clearer advice on symptom management at the point of referral and that gynaecology services improve communication about waiting times, treatment options, confidentiality, and appointment disruptions. It also recommends maintaining the high standards of care that patients frequently praised. The Trust accepted the recommendations and produced an action plan to address communication, information provision, confidentiality, and support for patients affected by system issues.

In summary, the report found that women generally had very positive experiences of staff and clinical care within the King George Hospital Gynaecology Department, but highlighted ongoing concerns about referral pathways, waiting times, communication, symptom-management advice, and maintaining patient confidentiality when discussing sensitive issues.