Emergency care – 1 year review

This report is by Healthwatch Lancashire. It is a follow up to work done in 2021 on local emergency departments, walk-in centres, and urgent treatment centres.

Healthwatch Lancashire has revisited previous work and carried out further engagement at Emergency Departments, Walk-in Centres and Urgent Treatment Centres across Lancashire and South Cumbria. Findings from this phase of engagement were be analysed to investigate whether the recommendations given last year have been implemented and whether they have made an impact 

on patient experience and presentation. 

Healthwatch Lancashire were responsible for engaging with patients from Central and West Lancashire.

A total of 52 people were engaged with for this piece of work, some from a survey and others through face to face meetings following engagements at local sites.

There were no recommendations in this report.

However former recommendations from the 2021 report are included and the conclusion is intended to update these. In summary this piece found:

• Challenges to GP access were a driver for attendance at A+E.
• There was less awareness of NHS111 and the NHS website than other sources of information on the health service.
• Findings from the 2021 report remain relevant regarding GP access.
• TV, radio and leaflets were found to be the best ways to reach people about health services.

There are follow up actions in this report.

The action is to send this report to the local integrated care board and Healthwatch England.