Alder Hey Hospital Listening Event

Healthwatch Liverpool held a listening event at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in May 2018, gathering feedback from 77 patients and visitors across inpatient wards, outpatient clinics, A&E and specialist services. Overall, feedback was extremely positive, with 95% of respondents saying staff were kind and listened to them, 91% saying staff explained care and answered questions, and an average overall rating of 4.54 out of 5. Patients and families consistently praised the friendliness, professionalism and compassion of doctors, nurses and support staff. 

The strongest positive themes were staff attitudes, quality of care and cleanliness. Patients reported feeling treated with dignity and respect and appreciated the specialist knowledge of staff. Most also felt they were given enough information about their treatment and care. The hospital environment was generally viewed positively, particularly when compared with the previous Alder Hey site. 

The main concerns related to practical aspects of the patient and visitor experience. These included parking availability and cost, waiting times for outpatient appointments, noise levels, limited entertainment options for older children, and a lack of cooking facilities for parents staying with children on wards. Some parents also commented that sofa beds used for overnight stays were uncomfortable and that waiting areas could become crowded. 

Healthwatch concluded that Alder Hey was highly regarded by patients and families, with staff and quality of care being the hospital’s greatest strengths. Recommendations focused on increasing parking capacity, improving food choices, expanding entertainment for older children, enhancing facilities for parents on wards and addressing noise levels in some clinical and waiting areas.