Enter and view: Lanchester Road

Healthwatch County Durham undertook an announced enter and view visit to the Community Mental Health Teams situated at Lanchester Road Hospital on 24 October 2024 as a result of feedback they had received about the service from users and their carers. 26 people shared their experiences.

The service users Healthwatch spoke to generally thought that the staff were friendly but there was mention that particular staff stood out both for positive and negative reasons. Also, several users said they often had to ‘chase staff up’ about issues. 

Both users and staff said that sometimes the telephones were not answered. Lots of users said they had questions about their care, and most had not seen or were aware of a ‘care plan’. Again, both staff and users acknowledged that the service is effective in signposting users, to help with other issues. 

Most users Healthwatch spoke to said they wouldn’t know how to complain, but most concerningly, half  would not feel confident in complaining because of fear, or lack of confidence that it would make a difference. Whilst a third of users felt they were getting what they expected from the service, many of them said the main issues happened when they could not access their named worker, then that left either a duty worker or crisis team. 

Issues with the site and building came up with both staff and users but ‘privacy being compromised’ through conversations being heard through room walls and reception, stood out. Healthwatch County Durham has continued to hear negative experiences from mental health service users across the County generally, since the Enter and View was carried out. These experiences were similar to the views that led to the Enter and Views being arranged.