The Royal Liverpool Hospital Listening Event

Healthwatch Liverpool held a listening event at the Royal Liverpool Hospital on 24 July 2018, gathering feedback from 79 patients and visitors across inpatient wards and outpatient departments. Overall, feedback was positive, with 85% of respondents rating the hospital 4 or 5 out of 5. Patients frequently praised staff, describing them as caring, friendly, professional and supportive, and many spoke positively about the quality of treatment they received. 

The main strengths identified were staff attitudes, communication and clinical care. Most patients felt they had been given enough information about their treatment and appreciated the compassion shown by nurses and doctors. Positive comments were also made about cleanliness, food and the convenience of the hospital’s location for some patients. 

The main concerns related to staffing pressures, food quality, maintenance of the ageing hospital environment and communication. Some patients felt staff were rushed and did not always have enough time to spend with them. Others reported long waits for appointments, inconsistent information about treatment plans and uncertainty about discharge arrangements. Half of inpatients said they had not been given an estimated discharge date. Parking, accessibility, lifts and the condition of the old hospital building were also raised as concerns. 

Healthwatch concluded that the Royal Liverpool Hospital provided a high standard of care and was highly valued by patients. Recommendations focused on supporting staff wellbeing, improving communication about treatment and discharge plans, addressing environmental and maintenance issues, and continuing to use patient feedback to drive service improvements.