Healthwatch Rochdale uses its statutory powers to enter and view Rochdale Infirmary Urgent Care Centre

Rochdale Infirmary

Healthwatch Rochdale has the power to Enter and View any publicly funded Health or Social Care service to review how they are delivering their services and to gather patient’s feedback. The visits are conducted by a small team of trained authorised representatives which include staff members and volunteers from Healthwatch Rochdale.

On Monday 15 February, Healthwatch Rochdale conducted its first Enter and View visit at Rochdale Infirmary’s Urgent Care Centre. Over the past 12 months Healthwatch Rochdale have been holding a drop in session at the Urgent Care Centre, gathering patients views on a monthly basis. Feedback highlighted a trend that the service is being run extremely well and patients and relatives are happy with the service they have been receiving. Due to this excellent feedback Healthwatch Rochdale Board of Director’s authorised an Enter and View visit at Rochdale Infirmary’s Urgent Care Centre with the aim of highlighting and sharing best practice.

During the visit Healthwatch Rochdale’s trained representatives focused on three primary areas which included overall observations, interviews with staff and interviews with patients.

The findings from this information has been published in a final report which highlights recommendations that Healthwatch Rochdale deem appropriate.

The recommendations Healthwatch Rochdale made to Rochdale Infirmary Urgent Care Centre in regards to this visit are as follows: 

• Increase the number of wheelchairs in the reception area.
• Information leaflets to be made available regarding the ‘Friends and Family Test’ in the waiting room
• Putting up a notice on the outside of the Urgent Care Centre to deter individuals from smoking outside the consultation rooms
• Putting up a sign above the waiting time, to ensure that patients are made aware this is the time for treatment and not to triage
• Update the ‘Friends and Family Test’ statistic to the appropriate month
• Provide information leaflets in the waiting area for patients who would like to make a complaint about the service
• An internal review of discharge procedures/ management to ensure patients have had the appropriate treatment
• Sharing your good working practices with other hospitals and Urgent Care Centers

These recommendations were issued to the Pennine Acute Hospital Trust and a reply was given to Healthwatch Rochdale within the statutory 21 days. 

Gill Harris, Chief Nurse said “Thank you for sharing the report and recommendations, I welcome the findings which have highlighted good practice and also identified areas for improvement. The Enter and View visit supports our work to improve the quality of care across all of our services by providing a critical friend role in reviewing our services from a patient perspective. The Trust is developing its Quality Strategy and seeks to raise the Bar on quality through a 10 point action plan. The Enter and View visit informs this work to improve quality of care.”

The Pennine Acute Hospital Trust also created an action plan in relation to the recommendation which is also in the report.

Kate Jones, Healthwatch Rochdale Chief Executive Officer said “Healthwatch Rochdale has worked in partnership with Rochdale Infirmary’s Urgent Care Centre for the past 12 months, holding drop in sessions in the main foyer and collecting patients experiences. Overall patient’s feedback has been positive and this Enter and View also confirm this. There are some issues which Healthwatch Rochdale have made recommendations around and Healthwatch Rochdale will continue to liaise with Rochdale Infirmary’s Urgent Care Centre to make sure these are addressed.”

Healthwatch Rochdale will continue to work in collaboration with Rochdale Infirmary’s Urgent Care Centre, to ensure recommendations are implemented and a good working partnership is continued.

A copy of the report can be found on Healthwatch Rochdale Website http://www.healthwatchrochdale.org.uk/enter-and-view-reports and a paper copy can be posted out on request by calling the office on 01706 249 575.