Enter and view: Audiology Department
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Healthwatch South Tees conducted an announced Enter and View report to the Audiology Department in The James Cook University Hospital in March 2019. Observations and survey responses were collected to gather people's experiences of the Audiology Department. Two members of staff and sixteen patients were interviewed.
Patients reported that that the waiting times were not long and that the quality of their appointments were good. It was suggested that more visual resources could be used, such as a screen to alert people to their appointment. Communication services need to be available for people with hearing loss, such as a Hearing Loop and BSL trained staff. Most of the service users had had their appointments booked by letter or through their GP. Staff reported that they have received deaf awareness training in the department. They said that they need to improve written information given to patients, especially in other languages.
Recommendations included that the visual sustem needs to be introduces; an indication of how long patients have to wait for their appointment would be useful; information about drop-in services should be displayed; and that the signs need to be reviewed so that they are clear for new service-users.
The service provider responded positively to the report.