Enter and view: South Tyneside District Hospital Ward 20 (Care of the elderly) Ward 3 (Gastroenterology)

Healthwatch South Tyneside undertook enter and view visits to Ward 20 and Ward 3 at South Tyneside Hospital in July and August 2019.  This was because Ward 20 (care of the elderly) was designated as the Palliative and End of Life care ward following closure of a local hospice. The Trust also asked them to conduct an Enter and View visit to Ward 3 (Gastroenterology) as a comparison.

Healthwatch was impressed with Ward 20 which was well equipped, light and airy and had a quiet and calm atmosphere. It has open visiting times for visitors to Palliative and End of Life patients and makes good provision for visitors. The Palliative Care Team make good links with patients and the patients’ family and friends and provide them with useful information.

In comparison, Healthwatch had concerns about the facilities and lack of privacy for patients in Ward 3.  They also noted that Ward 3 felt very busy, did not feel relaxing at all and would not be a good environment for anyone at End of Life or needing Palliative Care.

There were no recommendations to improve Ward 20, and there were two for Ward 3 to improve facilities and privacy for patients.  The report includes a response from the provider outlining the changes they were intending to make.