Enter and view: Buckingham Community Hospital

Healthwatch Bucks carried out an Enter and View visit to Buckingham Community Hospital in February 2024 to hear what patients, visitors and staff had to say about the care being provided in the Inpatient Ward. They spoke to 8 patients, 2 visitors and 2 members of staff.

Key findings

• Clean and tidy: The ward was clean and well looked after. Cleaning was underway during the visit, and noticeboards had useful information like what to do after a fall.

• Positive feedback: Patients had good things to say about the staff, food, therapies and the general feel of the place.

• Bathroom issue: One of the shared bathrooms was out of order, but staff were making it work, and patients didn’t seem too concerned.

• Discharge info unclear: Most patients felt they could ask questions about their care, but only a couple knew when they were due to go home. One patient said they hadn’t been told much about discharge plans.

• Activity sessions hit and miss: A group exercise session was advertised, but not running at the time of the visit. Staff said these only happen when someone is available to lead them.

• Tricky to get to: Some visitors said the hospital was hard to find, and staff mentioned recent changes to local bus routes had made things more difficult.

• Transport challenges: Booking transport home for patients can be tough, with ambulance transport needing to be arranged weeks ahead.

• Pharmacy delays: Staff said getting medicines can be slow, as the pharmacist only visits once a week.

The report identifies several areas for improvement:

• Get the broken bathroom sorted.

• Make sure the activity board is kept up to date so patients know what’s happening.

• Think about offering weekend group sessions to help patients stay active and connected.

• Improve communication around discharge so patients know what to expect.

• Look at whether a pharmacist could visit more often.

• Keep working with transport services to make patient journeys easier and more flexible.