St Mary's Urgent Treatment Centre surveys
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Healthwatch Portsmouth undertook research on how people came to be treated at St Mary’s Urgent Treatment Centre as they had heard that people were redirected there by the Emergency Department and vice versa. Patients who call the 111 and 999 services are directed to see their GP or appropriate emergency service and then also sometimes experience being redirected to the Emergency Department or the Urgent Treatment Centre. A high volume of residents frequently self-refers to these services inappropriately. This exacerbates the pressure experienced by the ED and UTC. They undertook a survey to which 174 people responded.
Overall the patient experience at the Urgent Treatment Centre was a positive one from patients. The vast majority arrived without an appointment, mainly needing treatment due to a fall or injury. Most people were waiting less than one hour, the vast majority feeling that they had had the right care at the right time from the right person.
Some observations made by patients could be taken forward to improve the patient experience of the Urgent Treatment Centre, including how long they would have to wait, crowded waiting rooms, insufficient car parking spaces and being unsure about how they would be told about the results of any tests.
The report contains three recommendations about informing patients about waiting times, staffing and test results.