Dorset County Hospital A&E: People’s experiences
256 people have told us about their experiences of being treated at Dorset County Hospital A&E, that will be used by the hospital to improve A&E care for local people.
The hospital invited former A&E patients to take part in the project, and those who responded were interviewed over the phone by our volunteers between September and December 2021.
Patient feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with almost three quarters rating their experience as ‘very good’, but there were also some common areas of concern.
Our recommendations, based on public feedback, have informed the Hospital’s A&E refurbishment plans, including a new entrance and waiting area, larger resuscitation rooms, bigger cubicles, a new digital system, and better facilities.
Recommendations
- The ongoing refurbishment of A&E should meet the needs people have raised in this research, including a request for more comfort and privacy for patients.
- Patients and their carers should be given a leaflet and online information about support available after leaving A&E, including a contact for follow up questions and information about the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS).
- The hospital should look at staff training and ways to improve staff morale, particularly for A&E reception staff, to make sure that patients are treated kindly and with respect, even when hospital staff are working in stressful circumstances.
- Signage and parking information should be improved.
- The A&E department should review the ways in which people are kept informed while they are waiting, including the use of volunteers to support patients who are anxious or distressed.
- The public should be made more aware of Weymouth Urgent Treatment Centre to help reduce the number of people needing to be redirected there from A&E.
Read our report
If you would like this report in a different format, email enquiries@healthwatchdorset.co.uk or call 0300 111 0102.
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Dorset County Hospital A&E: People’s experiences
