A&E Watch Macclesfield Hospital
Download (PDF 1.12 MB)Summary of report content
Healthwatch Cheshire East and Healthwatch Cheshire West and Chester collaborated to undertake research on how people’s experiences of A&E at Macclesfield Hospital have changed from the previous year. A total of 54 people completed a survey over three days: 28 November 2024, 30 November 2024, and 2 December 2024.
Similar to the previous year, just under two-thirds of people had spoken to someone else before attending A&E. Most people had been advised to attend by 111, their GP Practice or 999. A large majority had spoken to someone for advice or treatment the same day as attending A&E and had been driven to A&E themselves or were brought by a friend or relative.
Compared to nearly three-quarters of people in the previous year, just over two-thirds of people had been advised to go to A&E. Almost 20% of people had sent for an ambulance, compared to 6% the previous year. More people had assumed that A&E was the best place to be treated than the previous year.
Most people who came by ambulance waited less than two hours for it to arrive, whereas everyone arriving by ambulance arrived at A&E within two hours the previous year. A greater proportion of people rated their care as good or excellent than in the previous year. Positive themes included staff, facilities, and short wait times. Negative themes included long wait times, facilities and communication.
Like the previous year, over half of respondents had been to A&E in the last 12 months, and around half had been more than five times.
The report included no recommendations but was shared with: East Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cheshire East Health and Care Partnership Board, North West Ambulance Service, NHS 111, Cheshire East Council Scrutiny Committee, Chair of the Health and Wellbeing Board, and Healthwatch England.