Enter and View: Chelsea and Westminster Hospital
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What was the focus of this visit?
On 26 April, we conducted a joint Enter and View visit with Healthwatch Hammersmith & Fulham at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital’s Outpatient Departments.
The visit focused on Gates 1, 2 and 4 (General Outpatient Departments located on the lower ground floor), the Trauma and Orthopaedic Outpatient Department (located on the first floor) and Eye Clinic (located on the first floor).
Our aim was to collect feedback from patients about Appointment Letters, Travelling and Arriving at the Hospital, Signage, and the Waiting Experience. Similarly, we asked staff about Appointments, Travel, Navigation and Signage, Patient Experience and Interactions, and Staff Experience.
What did we find?
General Outpatient Experience
Some of the positive elements that we noted include the hospital’s main entrance having step-free access, accurate and up-to-date hospital signage, ease of patients accessing their appointment letters and the helpful and approachable staff members.
Aspects that could be improved are the low availability and cost of parking, unclear directions used in the appointment letter which don't align with the signage around the hospital, difficulties in accessing the letter digitally and having to wait a long time for the transport service to pick patients up.
Gates 1-2
We observed that the cleanliness of the environment, display of information on local health services and the average waiting times ranging from 10 to 30 minutes to be among the positive factors shared by patients.
However, we did not observe information available in Braille, some of the information on display was not accessible to people without smartphones and some patients told us that they waited for more than an hour in the past.
From the staff’s perspective, staff members described their working experience as positive, but they noted some barriers in addressing patient concerns. This includes poor accountability around mistakes at other departments, the lack of time during appointments to deal with patient queries, and language barriers.
Gate 4
The overall environment is open and conducive to patient comfort, contributing to a positive waiting experience for those visiting Gate 4. Patients also have access to a variety of flyers and medical reading materials and are informed about the expected duration of their appointment.
However, there is no loop service available for patients who are hard of hearing or deaf, there are no materials available in Braille or in different languages and patients expressed frustration with the long waiting times.
Eye Clinic
The facilities were good – the large waiting area with plenty of comfortable seating, a water dispenser and accessible toilets were key strengths. Staff reported positive interactions with patients, emphasising the friendly and approachable nature of the clinic's personnel.
However, some patients struggled to access the hospital Wi-Fi, while others were frustrated with the lack of updates on waiting times – both of which were acknowledged by staff.
Trauma and Orthopaedics
The department's key strengths include its spaciousness, access to translator and interpreter services via phone, and a "You Said, We Did" board displaying patient feedback and improvements made.
However, we did not observe information about local health services and health conditions displayed and, again, there was mixed feedback about waiting times. The report delves further into these findings.
Our recommendations
Some of the recommendations that we shared with Chelsea and Westminster Hospital include the introduction of discounted or free parking for people with low income or on benefits, installation of more signage around the hospital to direct patients to different Outpatient Departments – ensuring that this aligns with terminology used in appointment letters – and making information more easily available to those who do not have access to online resources.
To improve staff experience, we emphasise on the need to implement a training programme for reception staff which would enable them to deal with common patient enquiries. Furthermore, recruitment of staff members from the local community is vital to reducing language barriers. You can read more about our recommendations in the report.
