Experiences of using A&E Departments in Liverpool

Healthwatch Liverpool, together with neighbouring Healthwatch organisations, surveyed 293 people in A&E departments and 77 people after discharge to understand experiences of emergency care at Aintree Hospital, Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Royal Liverpool Hospital and Liverpool Women’s Hospital. Overall, most people were positive about the care they received, with staff attitudes emerging as the strongest theme. Patients frequently described staff as caring, professional and compassionate, despite recognising the pressures under which services were operating. 

The survey found that concerns about people attending A&E unnecessarily were largely unsupported by the findings. The most common reason for attendance was being advised to attend by another NHS service, accounting for 45% of respondents. Only 5% reported attending because they could not get a GP appointment. More than half of respondents had not attended A&E in the previous 12 months, although attendance patterns varied between hospitals. 

The main concerns related to waiting times and communication. While many people accepted that waits were unavoidable, they often felt frustrated by a lack of information about how long they would be waiting or what was happening next. Patients frequently commented that they were happy with the care received but wanted more regular updates from staff. Concerns were also raised about staffing pressures, with some people perceiving staff as overworked despite still receiving good care. 

Healthwatch concluded that Liverpool’s A&E departments were highly valued by patients, particularly because of the dedication and professionalism of staff. Recommendations focused on improving communication about waiting times, supporting staff wellbeing, reducing avoidable demand through better management of long-term conditions, sharing good practice between hospitals and demonstrating how patient feedback influences service improvement.