Enter and view: Leicester Royal Infirmary Children's Emergency Department

This is an Enter and View report by Healthwatch Leicester, Healthwatch Leicestershire, and Healthwatch Rutland. Healthwatch representatives visited the Leicester Royal Infirmary Children's Emergency Department to observe the care there.

Key findings

• The waiting areas are bright and clean with modern facilities.
• Most patients contact other services before attending the ED such as NHS 111
• Patients and carers told us that they are ‘satisfied’ with the treatment they receive and appreciate the staff who work within the department.
• More communication is needed from staff to patients while patients are using the waiting area, particularly with regards to the waiting times.
• We observed that the department can quickly change from an empty waiting area and patient triage within 15 minutes to a full waiting area with unclear treatment times.
• There are resources such as TV screens in the department which could be utilised to give better patient experience. 

There are recommendations in this report.

1. Improve communication during busy periods and make information clearer in waiting areas, consider using the screens to provide information such as waiting times.

2. Repair or replace the broken wall toys in the waiting area.

3. Clearly inform patients through posters and verbal reminders from the reception team at book-in that if they leave the department either temporarily or to return home, they must notify the reception staff. 

4. Ensure that cups at the water station are always available.

5. Ensure Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) units are always stocked upon entrance for patients to use on arrival, before they reach the reception team. 

6. Amend or move the PPE disposal sign in entrance so that it is on or next to the bin. 

7. Monitor the area to the front of the building to ensure people do not smoke or
vape near the entrance area, particularly focusing on the ramp and steps.

8. Add information, signposting carers for support on or next to the learning disability information board. 

9. Change messaging about the patient call in system on display boards to avoid confusion. The boards currently state that ‘you will be called on the screens so please pay attention to our patient calling system’. 

10. Display a sign for the availability of a hearing loop.

11. Relocate the vending machines so that they are not in front of the patient information wall.

12. Make more use of the fitted screens for health and department information. This will enable patients to read them when sat facing different directions. 

13. Look to provide a dedicated room for private and confidential conversations and have clear signage stating this. 

14. Ensure a mobile hoist is readily accessible within the department. 

There are no follow up actions in this report. The provider has responded.