Enter and vie: Fracture Clinic at Royal Blackburn Hospital

Healthwatch Lancashire and Healthwatch Blackburn with Darwen undertook an enter and view visit to the Fracture Clinic at the Royal Blackburn Hospital on 20 November 2015.   The visit aimed to observe the quality of the service following the clinic’s relocation from Burnley General Hospital and to gather feedback from patients and staff. They spoke to 16 people.

Overall, the clinic environment was found to be clean, well lit, and easy to locate, with good signage throughout the hospital. Waiting areas were tidy and included entertainment such as televisions, magazines, and a designated children’s area. However, there were some issues identified, including a broken self-check-in machine with no clear signage, outdated information boards, and a lack of visible facilities for patient feedback. Additionally, no drinks facilities were available, which caused concern among patients who did not want to leave the waiting area and risk missing their appointment. 

Patient feedback was generally positive about staff interactions, with 94% of patients reporting a good experience and staff being described as friendly and professional. Privacy was respected during conversations, and positive communication was observed.

In terms of convenience, most patients found the clinic location suitable and appointments easy to manage. However, some patients expressed dissatisfaction because the service had moved from a closer hospital. Travel was mainly by car, and some concerns were raised about parking costs. 

Several recurring issues were highlighted by patients. Long waiting times were a common complaint, with some patients experiencing significant delays and poor communication about these delays. There were also reports of appointments being cancelled or rescheduled, sometimes due to a lack of available specialists. Some patients found the seating uncomfortable, especially for those with injuries, and others reported difficulties contacting the clinic by phone. 

Other concerns included patients being moved between waiting areas without clear explanations, people smoking near the hospital entrance despite restrictions, and inefficiencies such as missing patient notes causing delays. Despite these challenges, many patients acknowledged the pressure on the service and remained broadly satisfied with their care. 

The report concludes with actions agreed by the provider, East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust. These include improving signage when equipment is out of order, updating information boards regularly, introducing a patient feedback system, improving communication about waiting times and patient movement, addressing phone response issues, and providing guidance for patients wishing to leave the waiting area. An action plan was developed to address these issues, demonstrating a commitment to service improvement. 

Overall, the report finds that while the clinic provides a generally positive patient experience with good staff interaction and a clean environment, there are several areas—particularly around communication, waiting times, and facilities—that require improvement.