Enter and view: Gem Centre

Healthwatch Wolverhampton did an announced Enter and View visit to the Gem Centre which provides Children, young people and family services, on 24th February 2015.

Accessibility to the centre was an issue with not enough parking spaces and bus stop information not updated or accurate.

The centre was very clean, bright and spacious, with good accessibility for people with disabilities. Reception staff were nice but not enough space in the waiting room was available. The lifts and other units/departments were well signposted.

Several services are provided at the centre by Royal Wolverhampton Trust, Wolverhampton City Council and Black Country Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, with separate rooms available for different ages of children with special security and privacy.

The team felt the complaint system was not clear. Reception staff forward complaints to PALS and managers in the case of informal complaints. There is no single care Pathway to access services at the Gem. There are various routes for patients/ carers to access the services provided by the centre.

Although the team had a good tour of the centre and managed to talk to the Assistant Directorate Manager and a the Divisional Medical Director and various staff at the centre, they were not able to talk to any patients/ carer or parent.

The following recommendations were made:

More notices and information to patients/ carers and significant other about how to lodge complaints and about the role and function of PALS. More information on how individuals/carers and significant others can join focus groups and more information as to aims and frequency of meetings. There needs to be more clarity as to how the issues raised in the various groups are taken up and then resolved by management and communicated back to the various focus groups.

The report lists some more recommendations however no response is included from the provider.