Whipps Cross Hospital Outpatients Outreach Report

Healthwatch Waltham Forest undertook research on patient experiences of outpatient services at Whipps Cross Hospital between September and November 2015. They collected feedback during 15 outreach sessions, gathering 1,077 issues raised by patients, relatives and carers across a wide range of outpatient clinics. Overall, comments were more positive than negative, with staff attitude and the quality of treatment receiving particularly favourable feedback. 

The most common concern was waiting times. Patients reported frustration with long waits for appointments, delays in waiting to be seen at clinics, difficulties changing appointments and problems caused by cancelled clinics or incorrect correspondence. Some patients also described issues with referrals, missing test results, unavailable records and confusion caused by poor signage and navigation within the hospital. 

Despite these concerns, many patients praised the professionalism, friendliness and helpfulness of staff. Positive feedback was particularly strong regarding the quality of clinical care and the support provided by frontline staff when administrative problems occurred. However, concerns were also raised about parking costs, patient transport, communication between services and variations in patient experience between different outpatient departments. 

Healthwatch Waltham Forest recommended improving the management of patient expectations around waiting times, providing clearer information in appointment reminders, improving signage and accessibility of information, learning from higher-performing departments and addressing ongoing concerns about parking and communication. The report concluded that patients were generally satisfied with the care they received, but that administrative processes and service capacity were affecting the overall outpatient experience.