Enter and view: Elgar Enablement Unit Southmead Hospital
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Healthwatch South Gloucestershire conducted an Enter and View visit to the Elgar Enablement Unit at Southmead Hospital December 2018. The unit provides those who are medically fit for awaiting discharg with accommodation until care assessments are completed and care is put in place for discharge. They were asked to undertake this visit by South Gloucestershire's Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee to understand how the care provided in this unit fits in to the 3Rs programme and understand people's experiences of being treated there. Observations and conversations were recorded from 7 staff and patients.
Healthwatch volunteers observed that for a facility aiming to bridge the gap between hospital and a non-medical social outcome, there were few visual clues observed. It was observed that the unit remains very hospital like and lacks homeliness. There was mixed feedback from patients regarding the overall care they received.
A number of recommendations were made to the unit including that patients medically fit for discharge be mobile and dressed each day; that more is done to make the Unit feel like a thriving enablement environment where patients are working towards discharge; that patients are kept informed of the physiotherapy and occupational therapy they will be receiving; and that patients are provided with a more regular programme of activities each week, with daily options where possible.
The service provider responded well to these recommendations and provided in-depth explanation for each suggestion.