The Walton Centre Listening Event

Healthwatch Liverpool held a listening event at The Walton Centre in January 2024, speaking to 21 patients and visitors on inpatient wards. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with an average overall rating of 4.8 out of 5 and every respondent giving the hospital either 4 or 5 stars. The strongest theme was praise for staff, who were described as caring, attentive, supportive and highly skilled. Patients also highlighted the quality of treatment, cleanliness and the welcoming atmosphere on the wards.

Many respondents said they felt safe, listened to and well informed about their care. Staff were praised for taking time to answer questions and provide reassurance, and all patients spoken to felt they had received enough information about their treatment. The ward environment, food, cleanliness and facilities also attracted positive comments, with some patients describing The Walton Centre as significantly better than other hospitals they had attended.

The main concerns related to parking, food and occasional noise at night. Some patients felt portion sizes could be larger or that meals were sometimes not hot enough. Parking remained a source of frustration for visitors, although it was recognised that this was outside the hospital’s direct control. A few patients also reported interruptions from noise during the night, usually from other patients, staff activity or equipment. Concerns were also raised about delays in obtaining discharge medication and access to benefits advice following discharge. 

Healthwatch concluded that The Walton Centre continues to provide an exceptionally positive patient experience, with particularly strong feedback about staff, treatment and ward environments. Although a small number of practical issues were identified, they did not significantly affect overall satisfaction. Healthwatch made no formal recommendations, noting that concerns raised during the visit were addressed promptly by the hospital’s patient experience team.