Enter and view: Blakelands Hospital

Healthwatch Milton Keynes undertook an Enter and View visit to Blakelands Hospital on 23 January 2024. The purpose of this Enter and View programme was to engage with patients and their relatives or carers, to explore their overall patient experience at Blakelands Hospital. During the visit, they spoke to 23 patients and one family member.

Blakelands Hospital is a purpose-built day care unit, designed to provide outpatient facilities for the assessment and treatment of patients. Treatments at the centre include cataract surgery, inguinal, umbilical, or femoral hernia repairs, knee arthroscopy, hand surgery, anal procedures, haemorrhoids banding and injection, lumps and bumps and minor skin procedures, as well as upper and lower limb outpatient appointments (hip, knee, and shoulder replacement).

The treatment centre has an x-ray department, outpatient consultation rooms, pre assessment facilities, two operating theatres and a four bedded recovery bay.

Whilst Blakelands treat privately insured and self-funding patients, a high proportion of their patients (90.23%) are referred from the NHS. 

When asked why patients had come to this Hospital and whether they been given a choice, people said they had been happy to come to Blakelands rather than go to the main hospital. The reasons given for this were that it has easier access, shorter waiting times for appointments and follow-ups, and the atmosphere is more relaxed and friendly, and overall gave patients a better experience.

People said staff were kind and caring and patients felt listened to which helped to relax them and made their experience much better than what they have come to expect in health settings.

The report contains recommendations and a response by the service provider.