Enter and view: Northampton General Hospital Accident and Emergency

Healthwatch West Northamptonshire undertook an enter and view visit to Northampton Accident and Emergency Department.  They spoke to 18 people.

It was clear that staff are passionate about their jobs and are dedicated to the patients they serve within the service. Staff appeared to perform well despite the pressures they may be under due to limited staffing capacity and overcrowded services. Patients consistently praised staff for being kind, polite, caring, and hardworking. Staff described strong teamwork, supportive colleagues, and good morale within small, close-knit teams such as SDEC.

Dementia-friendly blue seating was utilised across several waiting areas, supporting accessibility. Quinton Ward’s bay-tagging system ensured continuous supervision for vulnerable or high-dependency patients. Despite the busy nature and limited space, all areas visited were clean and well-kept.

The Accident and Emergency department is under construction and in the next year, will be allocated new buildings (some temporary), allowing for extra space to hold and treat incoming patients, which we were told will help the flow of patients. The new Streaming Hub and Triage pathway has allowed for prompt initial assessments and has improved patient experience by quickly identifying the necessary pathways and next steps in care.

Patients experienced waits ranging from several hours to over 24 hours, with many patients expressing their frustration with these wait times. The flow between departments was described as “disjointed” in SDEC. Lack of updates left patients unsure where they were in the queue

Several areas were described as dull, cold, dated, or poorly maintained (COA, Springfield). The spaces throughout the ward, especially the waiting areas, could use more décor to brighten the spaces and accommodate patients for long waits. The temporary portacabin environments in the Streaming Hub reduced privacy and comfort. In many areas, Healthwatch felt there was a lack of available entertainment and/ or materials to keep patients occupied while waiting for care. Some other elements were noticed, such as trip hazards, which posed safety risks and needed repair.

The lack of available space caused waiting areas to be packed, especially in SDEC on the day of our visit. Healthwatch found patients standing due to a lack of available space, as there was not enough seating to handle the number of patients. Often patients’ privacy was compromised due to overcrowding and a lack of available space for treatment. Patients’ oxygen levels and blood pressure (vitals) were taken in open spaces such as waiting areas. Patients were asked to confirm personal details in front of other patients while waiting, raising a GDPR issue. Hallway beds that were used routinely to hold patients as an overflow were an issue, due to a lack of privacy.

The lack of parking has a large impact on patient experience, and this was heard throughout speaking with patients. There were major frustrations with the lack of parking; patients found parking difficult, with patients circling repeatedly and experiencing unsuccessful attempts for a space. Blue badge users still found spaces inaccessible. Some patients opted for taxis due to parking issues.

Many patients waited long periods with no food or drink offered overnight while in the waiting rooms and the Streaming Hub. There were limited dietary options for people with allergies or medical needs who were not inpatients.

There was a need to improve signage and directives for patients going from one department to another. More than one patient was unable to find their way to the departments, resulting in a need to ask for assistance. There was a clear lack of information available in other languages, given the diversity of the population accessing A&E. Having something to support patients to identify their native languages would be suggested. Many display boards were outdated and underutilised; Healthwatch felt that more could be done to ensure these had current information, keeping patients engaged and informed.