Experiences of patients at Great Western Hospital
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Healthwatch Swindon, Wiltshire and West Berkshire carried out a piece of engagement work to hear the experiences of patients that had used the Great Western Hospital (GWH) in Swindon.
They carried out two surveys which ran for a month each – one for the Emergency Department (ED) and Urgent Care and one for inpatient wards at GWH. They also visited these areas face-to-face and virtually and made telephone calls to patients that had been discharged.
Key findings:
- Most had sought help from other services before attending ED or Urgent Care
- Comments around treatment and quality of care were broadly positive
- A small number felt they had not been treated with dignity and respect, did not feel involved in their care, or feel safe
- Staffing pressure shortages were widely recognised by patients and the impact this had on care
- Food was an area that could be improved
- While the discharge process worked for some, for many there were delays and communication was raised as an issue
- Carers reported a worse experience generally than patients themselves
A number of recommendations are made in the report, including increased monitoring of patients waiting in the ED and more information about accessing other available services, improved communication with patients, reviewing the quality and quantity of food, and working with system partners to consider the whole patient pathway and review and improve discharge pathways.