Enter and view: Accident & Emergency Service at The John Radcliffe Hospital

Healthwatch Oxfordshire undertook an enter and view visit to the Accident and Emergency Department at the John Radcliffe Hospital on 8 February 2023, as part of a programme of enter and view visits to services provided by the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. They spoke to 12 people.

The department is run by clinical and administrative staff who are keen to deliver excellent patient care services. This was clear in the way staff carried out their role, and patients and visitors praised the care by staff.

The department was clean, and regular cleaning rounds taking place.

Staff were approachable and friendly to patients, and easy to talk to. Comments from patients about the environment and efficiency of the services, and the attitudes of staff, were generally very positive.

The signage for the A&E main entrance was not clearly visible from the car park, and the signs directing pedestrians from the corner of the building were small and difficult to see. The hospitals are a 'no smoking zone' but the presence of cigarette butts is unsightly at the entrance and needs some provision for clean disposal as well as regular bins and pathway cleaning. Other issues were identified with the environment and facilities.   

There was an electronic board saying how long the waiting time was (4 – 5 hours when the visit took place), reminding people to wear masks and that only one visitor per patient was allowed to attend. However, a few people in the waiting room were not wearing masks, despite masks being available.

The report contains eleven recommendations about the building and environment, parking, signage, leaflets, patient confidentiality and facilities