How’s your A&E experience?
The Board of Community Health Councils in Wales and the 7 local Community Health Councils (CHCs) are undertaking a review of patient experiences with waiting times and ambulance hand over times at Accident and Emergency (A&E) departments.
CHCs regularly receive reports from patients stating that waiting times in A&E can be lengthy and uncomfortable; some reports also indicate that patients can experience delays in admission to A&E whilst waiting outside in Ambulance vehicles.
CHCs acknowledge there are national challenges within A&E departments with regards to staff availability and high patient demand during peak times.
CHCs also acknowledge that the NHS is actively seeking to improve the experiences of patients attending A&E and continuously undertake public engagement programmes such as the “Choose Well” campaign to educate the public on health care services that could be best utilised to deal with their healthcare needs.
In order to inform future improvements, they will be speaking directly to patients attending A&E departments during planned visits in January 2018.
“If you have an experience that you would like to share with us about an A&E department around any of the following topics, then please feel free to get in touch with us,” said a spokesperson.
· Comfort levels
· Communication from staff
· Treatment, privacy and dignity
· Staffing levels
· Ambulance hand over times to the A&E department
Feedback will be treated in complete confidence and will identify themes or trends that are a cause for concern or highlight areas of good practice.
Anonymized responses to the national review will be analysed and used to compile a formal written report, that will be shared with the local Health Boards for learning and will be then published for public review.
Powys CHC can be contacted on YourPowysViews@waleschc.org.uk.
Alternatively, you can complete the short questionnaire at www.communityhealthcouncils.org.uk/powys
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