SUGGESTIONS have been put to Poole Hospital in a bid to improve their A&E department and the communication patients receive while waiting to be seen.

Healthwatch Dorset visited the hospital ten times and spoke with over 40 patients to gauge what the biggest concerns were for patients in the department.

They found that the most common and recurring concerns raised by patients, family members and carers, were about the quality and frequency of communications throughout the A&E department.

The people Healthwatch Dorset spoke to wanted to be better informed about waiting times, be told clearly what would happen while they were in A&E and understand who they were talking to or who they could speak to if they had questions or needed help.

Healthwatch Dorset shared their findings, as well as recommendations on how the hospital can improve their communication in the A&E department, with Healthwatch England, NHS England and Poole Hospital.

They suggested that the hospital considers recruiting A&E volunteers who are visible in the department and available to answer questions.

The hospital should display clear and accessible information about the A&E process, so that people know what to expect and what they can do while they are waiting to be seen, for example if they can get food or a drink.

A 'who’s who' of staff should be prominently displayed around A&E, to help people understand who they are talking to and who they can ask for information or help.

Several people wanted information about what happens after a visit to A&E. A leaflet and some online information would be helpful, including who to contact about follow-up questions and care.

Louise Bate, Healthwatch Dorset manager said: “We will now work with Poole Hospital to share our findings and explore ways to meet our recommendations.

“I’d like to thank everyone who took part in this project including all the people we spoke to in Poole A&E, our volunteers and Poole Hospital staff.”

Mark Mould, chief operating officer at Poole Hospital said: “I welcome this report and how it has captured what we know to be true – that patients want timely care that they are kept informed about, and to know who is providing it.

“I am looking forward to working with Healthwatch Dorset to identify how their recommendations can best be implemented to better support our patients.”