Emergency Department Feedback Report

Healthwatch Cornwall undertook research on Emergency Departments due to an increase in feedback about people having to wait for long periods.  They visited the Emergency Department at the Royal Cornwall Hospital Treliske over two days to survey people coming for treatment and took observations of the building and environment.  They spoke to 92 people.

Most people came to the Emergency Department having contacted another service first for advice and information, unless their condition was more serious, or they were visiting the area.  NHS 111 and GPs were the services people most often sought advice from.

NHS 111 was the service most likely to advice people to come to the Emergency Department.

11 people went to a minor injuries unit first.

Further analysis by day/evening and weekday/Saturday showed the services people contacted for advice and their routes into ED differed.

Over three quarters arrived at the Emergency Department by their own transport. Some people raised concerns about parking charges and length of stay.

A third of those asked had used the Emergency Department in the last six months, of which over half had visited for a reason linked to their current visit.

Just under a quarter were on an NHS waiting list.  Of these, 10 were visiting ED for a related issue.

People were very complimentary about the staff and the care they received.

Some concern related to information and advice and how accessible or appropriate it was, including updates on waiting times and TV screens. Other concerns raised included information provided by professionals before coming to ED.

There were concerns about the confidentiality in the reception area, comfort while waiting, lack of food and drink and facilities during extended waits, parking, accessibility, signage and cleanliness.

The report includes 12 recommendations and some suggestions for further research on this topic.