Waiting for Hospital Care
Download (PDF 674.36 KB)Summary of report content
Healthwatch Surrey ran a survey to provide insight for services supporting people on hospital waiting lists. They heard from 182 people.
They found that any need to wait is worrying for many patients and uncertainty about how long people have to wait is a major concern in its own right. The negative effects of waiting include physical effects, effects on mental health and socio-economic detriment.
only one in three felt the hospital had given them helpful information and support; one in four felt their GP had given them helpful information and support.
Around two in five had been given information on how long their wait might be. Over half felt they hadn’t received enough information about their wait and nearly two thirds felt the hospital should update them on a monthly basis.
The report contains two recommendations about better information to patients about waiting times and support during waiting times.