Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital Listening Event

Healthwatch Liverpool held a listening event at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital in June 2019, gathering feedback from 63 patients and visitors across inpatient wards and outpatient departments. Overall, feedback was extremely positive, with 94% of respondents rating the hospital 4 or 5 out of 5 and an average score of 4.85 out of 5. Patients consistently praised staff, describing them as caring, attentive, professional and supportive. Many also highlighted the high quality of care and aftercare they received. 

The strongest positive themes were staff attitudes, the quality of treatment and the hospital environment. Patients reported feeling well informed about their treatment, confident asking questions and reassured by staff throughout their care. Positive feedback was also given about food quality, cleanliness and the generally calm atmosphere within the hospital. 

The main concerns related to parking, waiting times and staffing pressures. Some patients reported difficulty finding parking spaces and felt parking charges were too high. A small number raised concerns about waiting times for outpatient appointments or admission for treatment. Although most respondents felt staff had enough time for them, a minority felt staff were very busy and occasionally stretched, particularly when wards were full. Some people also found the layout of the hospital site confusing or tiring due to the amount of walking required. 

Healthwatch concluded that Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital provides a highly valued service with excellent clinical care and positive patient experiences. Recommendations focused on continuing to support staff wellbeing, reviewing communication and access issues where concerns were raised, and addressing patient feedback about parking, waiting times and navigation around the hospital site.