Healthwatch Oldham Emergency Department Report

Key Findings

The majority of people surveyed reported that their overall experience was positive. The following are the three main reasons given for this positive experience:

• Caring Staff - Staff that were caring, sympathetic and who did not make them feel like they were wasting staff time.
• Good communication – things were clearly explained, and good advice given.
• Waiting Times (for those that were ‘fast tracked’ or seen within two hours).

Where people were less satisfied with their experience they cited the following reasons for this:

• Staff attitude - A few respondents cited that staff had been unfriendly, sarcastic or uncaring, leaving one unclothed patient exposed not closing the curtain when they left the cubicle. These incidents seemed to relate mainly to the night staff.
• Test Results - Medication not explained clearly, a fracture was missed on an X-ray.
• Waiting Times - Although we did not ask a question around waiting times this came up as a contributing factor particularly for the person who had to wait over 6 hours.
• Patients with hearing loss or who were on their own were worried about missing their names being called following triage because; They could not see or hear the member of staff calling their name as they stood at the back of the room, or they would miss their turn when taking a comfort break.
• Patients Smoking - Some respondents told the HWO staff team they were unhappy that patients or their friends and relatives were smoking by the doors to the Emergency Department.
• Wheelchair shortage and space to park them – A few respondents told the HWO team at particularly busy sessions that they had struggled to find a wheelchair to use and that they had problems parking them up in the department without being in the way of others.