London Ambulance Service: Experiences from Richmond
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Earlier this year, The London Ambulance Service asked Healthwatch Richmond for advice on how they can improve the care that they provide Londoners. They conducted a survey to explore the patient journey and obtain their thoughts as a result. They spoke to 269 people.
High levels of satisfaction were experienced among those who have used their services, with many respondents highlighting effective communication and the care and kindness they experienced from members of LAS staff.
Some respondents explained how they had low confidence in urgent and emergency services due to personal experiences, stories in the media and long waiting times.
People stressed the importance of developing the social care system and providing continuing care for elderly patients so that they are able to leave A&E and make room for new patients.
There was an overall feeling of need for improvements related to NHS England as a whole, mainly pointing to investment and funding in the NHS. Participants said it was necessary to invest in more staff. Most people expressed satisfaction with their care in the LAS system, but they were concerned that it would not be sustainable.
Respondents believed that public engagement could help to highlight when LAS services should be used. In addition, they believed that they could gain a better understanding of the services' performance than just media coverage.