The Walton Centre Listening Event

Healthwatch Liverpool held a listening event at The Walton Centre in November 2018, gathering feedback from 32 patients and visitors across inpatient wards and outpatient services. Overall, feedback was extremely positive, with an average rating of 4.65 out of 5 and 74% of respondents awarding the highest rating. Patients praised the expertise, compassion and professionalism of staff, frequently describing them as caring, supportive and reassuring during what were often difficult periods of treatment and recovery.

The strongest themes were the quality of care, staff attitudes and the supportive environment. Most respondents felt involved in decisions about their treatment, reported feeling welcomed when arriving on wards and said staff took time to explain care plans and answer questions. Patients particularly valued the specialist expertise available at the hospital and several commented on the positive atmosphere created by staff despite the complex nature of neurological care. 

A small number of concerns related to staffing pressures and communication. Some patients felt nurses were very busy, particularly at night, and believed this affected the amount of time staff could spend with them. Others reported delays in receiving updates about treatment plans or a lack of communication between specialist teams and ward staff, which sometimes left patients uncertain about what was happening next. Feedback was also received about limited food choices for people with special dietary requirements and the lack of an on-site shop.

Healthwatch concluded that The Walton Centre provides a highly valued service with exceptionally positive patient experiences. Recommendations focused on continuing to support staff wellbeing and improving communication between professionals to ensure patients receive timely updates about treatment and discharge plans. Overall, the report highlighted the hospital’s caring culture, specialist expertise and strong patient-centred approach as major strengths.