Emergency Care: patient insights and experience

Healthwatch Lancashire have collected feedback from local residents to understand experience and presentation at Urgent Treatment Centres and the Emergency Department within the Central and West Lancashire area. Through numerous short and focused site visits, Healthwatch Lancashire engaged with 183 people who have provided the insight that features in this report.

Patients were most frequently being driven to sites by a friend or family member, more commonly due to an infection or illness. Prior to attending, 36% had tried their GP, 21% NHS 111 by phone, and 12% NHS 111 online. However, 32% of patients in an emergency department or urgent treatment centre had not tried to access other healthcare before attending.

Many patients suggested they would try their GP or the NHS telephone service next time for initial advice. There appears to be a preference and more awareness of NHS 111 telephone as opposed to NHS 111 online. But there was a general lack of knowledge about the Patient UK website and the Local child health advice booklet website. In terms of receiving information, methods such as the NHS website, TV adverts and posters in health centres/ libraries/ community centres/ bus stations were consistently preferred.

The report recommends:

• Improvements to the NHS 111 service
• Raising awareness of NHS 111 online
• Including information for under 5s on the NHS 111 online services
• Increasing accessibility to GPs
• Providing alternative places for blood tests
• Providing more locally based walk-in centres
• Offering more face-to-face appointments
• Educating people on when best to attend an emergency department vs an urgent treatment centre
• Having a primary care department before an emergency department at hospital
• Increasing awareness of the services pharmacies can provide
• Better methods of communication
• Increasing carers’ and district nurses’ knowledge of services.