Q3 Patient Experience Report

Healthwatch Ealing summarises feedback collected from residents between October and December 2025 about their experiences of health and care services across the borough. During this period, Healthwatch Ealing gathered 1,542 reviews through online submissions and 57 engagement visits to community venues, GP practices, hospitals, and local events. The purpose of the report is to highlight what is working well, identify areas for improvement, and make recommendations to local decision‑makers.

Overall, experiences were largely positive, with 78% of all reviews rating services positively, 13% neutral, and 9% negative. The services receiving the most feedback were GP practices, hospitals, pharmacies, dentists, and emergency services. Pharmacies received the highest proportion of positive feedback at 92%, followed by dental services at 86%, while GP and hospital services both received 78% positive ratings.

Feedback on GP services showed that patients valued the attitudes of staff, quality of care, and professionalism of clinicians. Nearly four in five comments about staff attitudes were positive, and many patients described doctors as thorough, reassuring, and attentive. However, access remained a persistent challenge. Patients reported ongoing difficulties with appointment availability, often waiting two weeks or longer for routine appointments, and 66% of comments about getting through on the phone were negative, reflecting frustration with busy phone lines and competition for same‑day appointments. The report recommends improving appointment availability, streamlining booking systems (particularly online), and upgrading telephone systems with features such as call‑back options.

Experiences across Primary Care Networks (PCNs) varied slightly, but all networks showed higher satisfaction with quality of care and staff behaviour than with access. Appointment availability and phone access were consistently the most common negative issues across almost all PCNs, while staff attitudes and treatment quality remained core strengths.

Feedback on hospital services also showed strong satisfaction with staff attitudes, quality of treatment, and overall experience, with nearly nine in ten comments about staff behaviour rated positively. Patients often described hospital staff as caring, professional, and reassuring. However, the most significant concern related to waiting times, particularly in A&E, with 74% of comments about waiting times being negative. Some patients also reported long waits for planned appointments following referral, sometimes lasting many months, and difficulty contacting hospitals by phone.

Hospital‑specific analysis showed generally good ratings across local hospitals, particularly for treatment quality and staff professionalism. Nevertheless, the same recurring issues appeared across sites, especially waiting times, appointment delays, and difficulty getting through by telephone. The report recommends targeted improvements to urgent and emergency care pathways, continued progress on elective care recovery, and enhanced digital and telephone access through the NHS App and improved call‑handling systems.

The equalities analysis found that feedback was broadly consistent across gender, age, and ethnicity groups, with only minor variations in reported satisfaction. Women submitted more reviews than men, but overall experience ratings were very similar. The largest volume of feedback came from adults aged 25–54 and from residents identifying as White British and Asian Indian, all of whom reported generally positive experiences.

In conclusion, the report shows that Ealing residents continue to value the quality, professionalism, and compassion of local health staff, particularly in GP practices and hospitals. However, access to services remains the most significant and persistent challenge, especially in relation to appointment availability, waiting times, and telephone access. Healthwatch Ealing urges providers and commissioners to prioritise practical improvements in access while protecting the high standards of care that patients consistently recognise and appreciate.