15 Steps Challenge, Paediatrics Emergency Department at EDGH

Healthwatch East Sussex undertook a 15 steps challenge to gain a young person’s perspective on paediatric facilities at Eastbourne District General Hospital, following the recent changes to paediatric services at the hospital. They also aimed to understand what staff thought of the changes and if there were any improvements they felt could be made, via a short survey. They used a team of Healthwatch East Sussex staff and Young Healthwatch volunteers to undertake the 15 Steps Challenge in the paediatric emergency department.

Overall, the paediatric emergency department was felt to be a safe and welcoming place for children and young people, with thought given to ensuring the department is as welcoming as possible. Feedback from staff was largely positive and highlighted that from a staff perspective, the changes to paediatric care at ESHT are allowing for improved patient care and a better patient experience. However, it was noted that the area is small and cramped, which does impact perceptions of the environment, and patient experience may be further improved if the size of the paediatric emergency department was increased.