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A&E service experience

What does this indicator mean?

The purpose of this indicator is to improve the experience of patients and their carers who use the A&E service. Trusts are expected to provide a narrative description of what they have done to assess the experience of patients and their carers, what the results were and what has been done to improve services in light of the results.

What is good practice?

Good practice would be for trusts to actively seek feedback from patients and their carers in a variety of ways such as satisfaction surveys, focus groups, web-based feedback and written questionnaires. Trusts are expected to regularly collect feedback from a cross-section of patients and their careers and to use it to drive service improvements.

How is UHB doing

The Emergency Department has seen a significant reduction in complaints over the past six months. The department received 20 complaints in the period June to December 2011 compared to 43 for the same period in 2010. The themes of complaints continue to be regularly reviewed by senior clinical teams to ensure all issues are dealt with in a positive way. There has also been an increase in the number of compliments received: 37 in the period June to December 2011 compared to 20 for the same period in 2010.

Patient and staff surveys have been circulated during the past two months and the results will be compiled in early January 2012. A number of actions are being implemented as a result of the responses received from surveys carried out in early 2011. These include reviewing the assessment process in the Emergency Department, longer acting pain control for patients and better discharge information and advice cards.

In addition, feedback from student nurses and junior medical staff who have undertaken placements in the Emergency Department has been extremely positive for the period June to December 2011.

What is UHB doing to improve patient experience?

The Emergency Department will be increasing the number of volunteers in 2012 to help with the ongoing patient survey. The survey will be expanded to include postal and inpatient feedback from patients who have been through the Emergency Department.

The department is also visited twice a month by members of the Trust’s Patient and Carer Council who carry out spot checks and gather patient comments to improve patient care, the environment and customer service.

In 2012, the Emergency Department will be implementing a new initiative to improve the service provided to deafblind patients. A patient passport will be launched in partnership with Sense West Midlands to ensure the specific needs of this patient group are met should they need to attend the Emergency Department.