Attendance of babies and children to West Middlesex University A&E

Healthwatch Hounslow carried out a project to understand why parents and carers of children aged 0–4 increasingly choose West Middlesex University Hospital’s A&E department when their child becomes unwell. The project sought to explore behaviours, barriers to accessing GP services, awareness of alternatives such as NHS 111 and community services, and opportunities to strengthen communication and signposting. 

A total of 61 parents and carers completed an online survey and five took part in semi‑structured interviews. Feedback was gathered in A&E, during out‑of‑hours GP appointments and in community settings. 

Over half of parents (52%) did not try to contact their GP before attending A&E because they believed appointments would not be available, especially at weekends. Among those who did try, 62% could not secure an appointment. Parents also felt A&E would offer faster assessment from paediatric specialists. 

Nearly half of parents attended A&E because their child had symptoms such as fever, cough, vomiting or rash, either alone or in combination. Parents said it was difficult to judge the seriousness of these symptoms and sought A&E reassurance. 

Parents often described feeling worried, uncertain about symptom severity and fearful that their child’s condition might worsen. A&E was seen as the safest and quickest option, with trusted access to paediatric expertise. 

Most parents relied on NHS 111 or the Health Visitor/Advice Line. Very few used Children’s Centres, Family Hubs, GP websites or the Healthier Together platform. This shows that important local resources remain underused. 

While 39% used multiple services, many relied on just one—typically phone advice from their GP, NHS 111 or family/friends. Use of urgent treatment centres or out‑of‑hours GP services was minimal. 

Many cases were treated with minor interventions, over‑the‑counter medication or reassurance; only 13% required admission. Parents were generally positive about staff but reported long waiting times, stressful or mixed waiting areas and inconsistent communication between services. Average satisfaction was 5.8/10. 

Interviewed parents attended A&E because they believed their child needed urgent care. They valued fast access to specialists but found discharge information unclear, waiting areas not child‑friendly, and out‑of‑hours GP options poorly understood. None were aware of the Healthier Together website.