A report on patient's experiences at Edgware Hospital

Healthwatch Barnet carried out a patient engagement exercise at Edgware Community Hospital in February 2018, speaking to 120 patients and visitors about their experiences of accessing and using the hospital. The engagement took place over two sessions in the hospital’s main reception area and focused on issues such as signage, parking and overall patient experience. 

The majority of patients reported positive experiences of the hospital and were satisfied with the care and treatment they received. Patients described staff as friendly, helpful, reassuring and professional, and many commented favourably on the cleanliness and condition of the hospital. 

Most respondents found it easy to navigate the hospital. Of the 120 people who provided feedback, 75% said that the signage was clear and easy to follow. However, some patients reported difficulties with external signage, particularly when arriving by car, and several people said they could not easily find the Breast Screening Unit without asking reception staff for directions. 

Parking emerged as the most common concern. Forty-three per cent of respondents had driven to the hospital, and over half of these reported problems finding a parking space. Patients complained about limited parking availability, parking charges, unclear car park signage and confusion regarding disabled parking arrangements. Some people reported being late for appointments or avoiding driving to the hospital because of parking difficulties. 

Patients who travelled by public transport generally found the hospital easy to access because of the availability of local bus routes. Others travelled by taxi, on foot or with assistance from friends and relatives.

Healthwatch also observed some operational issues during its visits. The main reception desk closed for periods while the area remained busy, leading patients to seek assistance from Healthwatch volunteers instead. The team also noted that the reception area was cold because of heating problems, some toilets were unavailable, and there were no hand gel dispensers visible in the main reception area. 

Some patients raised concerns about appointment booking processes, including long waits between referrals and appointments and difficulties contacting departments by telephone. However, once appointments took place, patients generally reported positive experiences and short waiting times within clinics. 

Overall, Healthwatch concluded that patient satisfaction with Edgware Community Hospital was high, but that improvements were needed in relation to parking, signage and reception coverage. The report recommended reviewing car park signage, improving directions to the Breast Screening Unit, keeping parking arrangements under review and maintaining reception staff cover during main clinic hours. 

NHS Property Services and Central London Community Healthcare accepted the recommendations. They confirmed that work was already underway to improve signage across the site, review parking arrangements and consider solutions such as marked walking routes to help patients find specific departments more easily.