Enter and view: Acute Medical Unit

Healthwatch Rotherham undertook an announced enter and view visit to the Acute Medical Unit at the Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust on 4 July 2025.

The atmosphere was calm, patients appeared well cared for and rested, and noise levels remained low despite the department’s busyness. The temperature was comfortable even though it was a hot day. Information provided on the ward, through displays and posters was helpful for anyone visiting the ward, patients and also staff. It was evident that the waiting area of AMU wasn’t being utilised and so considerations could be made about how best to make use of this space. 

AMU at Rotherham Hospital (TRFT) is a place where patients feel safe and the majority of people receiving their care there, understand their illness and/or treatment through positive levels of communication from the staff that work on the ward.

Patients and relatives reported feeling safe on the ward, and staff communicated clearly about diagnoses and treatment plans. Healthwatch also heard that staff sometimes experience abuse or violence; these incidents are managed by the nurse in charge or ward manager, and staff confirmed that this support is valuable. It was clearly felt that the staffing levels at times can be an issue and can put some pressure on the nursing staff, although this is well supported by a positive staff ethos and through the management team who clearly play a vital role and are evidently committed in ensuring their staff are safe, happy and their well-being matters. 

The ward caters for patients with differing methods of communicating and most of the staff were aware of the health/hospital passports that some of their patients require. The document clearly states lots of information about the patient personally but also about how they best communicate and things that are important to them. It appears that quite a few of the dementia patients have a hospital passport so that the staff can understand their needs clearly in case the patient is unable to communicate their needs verbally. 

It was interesting hearing that staff were aware of the hospital passports, however not many had heard about the Accessible Information Standards which links quite closely with resources such as the passport and ensures that patients' needs are met through reasonable adjustments. 

Since switching to a new catering provider, healthcare assistants are adapting to the electronic ordering system and flagging teething issues to the catering team. QR codes on menus enable patients to give real-time feedback on meal quality and options, supporting ongoing service improvements.