Enter and view: Elizabeth Ward, Whipps Cross Hospital
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Healthwatch Waltham Forest undertook an Enter and View visit to Elizabeth Ward, the Coronary Care Unit at Whipps Cross Hospital, on 24 November 2022. The visit found that patients were overwhelmingly positive about the care they received and described staff as caring, compassionate, professional and supportive. The ward was observed to be clean, accessible, well maintained and recently refurbished, with clear signage and facilities that supported patients with a range of needs.
Patients praised the quality of treatment from nurses and other ward staff, reporting that they felt involved in their care and were treated with dignity and respect. Staff described a positive working culture with good teamwork, training opportunities and support from managers. Healthwatch also found examples of good practice in dementia care, accessibility arrangements and flexible visiting arrangements to support patients and families.
Some areas for improvement were identified. A small number of patients reported inconsistent communication from doctors and wanted clearer explanations about their treatment and involvement in ward-round discussions. Concerns were also raised about discharge arrangements, including delays with medication and transport, uncertainty about post-discharge support and difficulties accessing GP appointments or community services after leaving hospital. Staff also noted challenges associated with workforce pressures and their ability to access wellbeing support because of busy workloads.
Healthwatch Waltham Forest recommended improving communication with patients about their care and treatment, increasing access to staff wellbeing services, providing clearer information about complaints procedures and ward services, strengthening information about discharge and aftercare, and exploring ways to improve access to GP support for recently discharged patients. The Trust accepted the recommendations and reported that actions were being implemented to address them.