Enter and view: Thornbury Hospital February 2018

Healthwatch South Gloucestershire undertook an Enter and View visit to Henderson Ward in Thornbury Hospital on 2 February 2018 as part of a programme to find out about patients’ experience of recovery, re-ablement and rehabilitation both in clinical and care home settings.  They spoke to 7 patients and one member of staff.

Healthwatch volunteers were impressed with the standard of Thornbury hospital and the enthusiasm and dedication with which staff worked. The patients told them that the discharge process was well organised and the staff were clear about the steps to be taken. 

However, the building itself is old and in need of modernisation. Healthwatch volunteers felt that the long, narrow ward structure imposes limitations on individual space and personal privacy. The use of curtaining, to create the illusion of privacy adds to the sense of overcrowding. The adjacent common areas are basic and institutional. Healthwatch volunteers observed the movements of both staff and patients often lead to serious congestion at certain pinch points. However the fabric of the building is clean, decorated to a high standard and well maintained. In essence, Healthwatch volunteers were impressed by the service provided by Sirona Care & Health in this setting. Management has clearly imparted the staff with a sense of purpose which they, in turn enthusiastically pursue despite the limitations of the building.

There were two recommendations about the need to provide shaving mirrors when required and the need for better heating.

The report doesn’t contain a response from the provider.