Enter and view: Broadland Clinic Little Plumstead Hospital
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Healthwatch Norfolk undertook an enter and view visit to Broadland Clinic, a medium security in-patient unit for people with learning disabilities and autistic people on 23 February 2023. They spoke to 11 patients and 5 members of staff.
Patients are represented on several committees, whose findings feed into the governance of the clinic. Most felt that they were listened to well, and that the complaints process was well-used and effective. There are also regular visits from a self-advocacy service and individual advocacy is available. Patients also run a tuck shop on the premises and produce a newsletter.
The clinic’s building is modern and purpose-built. It was clean and tidy throughout and has generous facilities for recreation and training. Patients’ bedrooms were well-personalised.
The clinic’s facilities allow for a wide range of on-site activities, including art and craft, music, exercise and sport, life skills training and more. As patients make progress in their rehabilitation, they are allowed on outings, including to the beach, to college and to restaurants.
Most people liked the staff and were treated well by them. Two people were less happy with staff, but it was difficult to interpret this feedback for reasons detailed below. The interactions witnessed between staff and patients were respectful and empathetic, and staff demonstrated an openness to scrutiny and actively sought to elicit negative feedback.
People who received food from the central canteen were able to vote for their favourite options from a picture menu. Those who were cooking their own meals were able to choose what to cook. People could also purchase snacks and keep them in a locker in a communal area. Most people were happy with the food they were eating.
Managers felt that it was sometimes difficult to discharge patients in a timely way due to a shortage of suitable and appropriately-staffed community placements to discharge people into. There were also some issues accessing dental care due to a shortage of mobile dentists in the county.
Overall, the people at the clinic were satisfied with the care that they were receiving. While most people would not choose to live there, which is to be expected given the nature of the service, they said they were well treated. The service has a rigorous set of mechanisms for trying to ensure that patient voice is captured and acted upon, and demonstrated an open culture during the visit.