What’s it like being in a hospital waiting room? People’s views: Birmingham Women’s Hospital

Healthwatch Birmingham undertook research about the quality of service in waiting rooms in Birmingham Hospitals following feedback from the public. This report presents the results for the Birmingham Women’s Hospital. The research was based on feedback directly from patients who were in hospital waiting rooms, an online questionnaire, in-depth interviews and focus groups with other third-sector organisations to collect the experiences of people who have a visual and/or hearing impairment. They spoke to 18people about their experiences at this hospital.

The feedback from Birmingham Women’s Hospital was quite mixed. More patients had longer waiting times than those who were seen promptly, but most people said waiting areas were of an acceptable standard in terms of cleanliness, although one waiting area was felt to be over heated, and some people felt they needed better access to refreshments. A major problem for patients with hearing impairments was gaining access to an interpreter for the full extent of their appointment, to ensure they understood everything about their care plan and had opportunities to ask questions.

The report contains 11 recommendations designed to address the issues uncovered by this research.  It also contains a response from the provider outlining the changes it intends to make as a result.