Enter and view: Bransholme Health Centre - MIU; Freedom Centre – MIU; Story Street – Walk in Centre

Healthwatch Kingston upon Hull undertook Enter and View visits to the Freedom Centre Minor Injuries Unit, Bransholme Minor Injuries Unit and Story Street Walk-in Centre between May and June 2016. The visits were carried out as part of a wider review of urgent care services following concerns about delays at Hull Royal Infirmary's Emergency Department. Overall, all three services were found to be clean, accessible and well regarded by patients. 

The main strength across all sites was the positive patient experience. Most people reported being seen within an hour, with many treated in under 30 minutes. Patients praised staff, accessibility, parking and public transport links. A recurring theme was that many attendees had been unable to secure a timely appointment with their own GP, with some being directly referred to the walk-in or minor injury services by their GP practice. 

Few concerns were identified. At both the Freedom Centre and Bransholme MIUs, advertised waiting times were often significantly longer than actual waits, which patients felt could discourage attendance and unnecessarily divert people to A&E. A brief issue was also noted at the Freedom Centre where reception was temporarily unattended during one visit. No significant concerns were identified at Story Street Walk-in Centre. 

Overall, Healthwatch concluded that all three services were providing effective alternatives to A&E and were highly valued by patients. Recommendations focused on displaying more accurate waiting times and ensuring consistent reception cover, while feedback from the visits was shared with NHS Hull CCG as part of its urgent care consultation and future service planning.