Enter and view: Kings College Hospital A&E

Healthwatch Southwark undertook an Enter and View visit to King’s College Hospital A&E Department between November 2015 and February 2016.

The visit found that patients were generally positive about staff, describing them as friendly, helpful and supportive despite the pressures facing the department. Many people attended A&E because they were unable to get a timely GP appointment, were unsure which alternative services to use, or believed they would receive faster or better care in hospital. Patients also reported limited awareness and confidence in services such as out-of-hours GPs, NHS 111 and other urgent care options. 

Several concerns were identified about the patient experience. People were often unclear about where to go on arrival, found the waiting area uncomfortable and gloomy, and felt they were not given enough information about expected waiting times. Some patients reported difficulty hearing when staff called them, particularly those with hearing impairments. Staff highlighted challenges including overcrowding, limited space, increasing demand, difficulties caring for people presenting with mental health problems and the impact of delays elsewhere in the hospital on patient flow.

Healthwatch Southwark recommended improving signage and information for patients, making the waiting area more welcoming, providing clearer communication about waiting times, reviewing how patients are redirected to alternative services, increasing volunteer support and continuing to monitor staffing levels. The report also called for further work to understand why people choose A&E over other services and for better public information about urgent care pathways and mental health crisis support.