North Walsham Hospital

Feedback

• There's a lot of waiting

  4

  Submitted by Feedback gathered by Healthwatch Norfolk staff 8th March 2024

  There can be a lot of talking about when you're going to be able to go home, but not much action. I realise that it can be hard to organise these things, but it seems like the organisation could be improved a bit. You have to wait around for things to happen, but that is just what the health system is like nowadays. It is lovely and clean here, though, and I like the food.

• Reply from North Walsham Hospital

  Thank you for your feedback. NCH&C Patient Experience Team

• They are understaffed, and this affects care

  3

  Submitted by Feedback collected by Healthwatch Norfolk staff 8th March 2024

  They are understaffed here, and sometimes I think they get frustrated and take it out on the patients. For example they will just come and put some water on your table and walk off without saying anything. There are lots of little things like that, and it is because they are overworked. There's also not enough to do here. They come and tell us to get dressed and get out of bed, but then you just sit in a chair all day. I am here to get better, not to sit in a chair. Some things really get me down here.

• Reply from North Walsham Hospital

  I am so sorry to hear of your experience. I would be grateful if you could contact the patient experience team using the following email patientexperience@nchc.nhs.uk. This will enable us to look further into this matter.

• They are understaffed but the care is good

  4

  Submitted by Feedback gathered by Healthwatch Norfolk stafff 8th March 2024

  Understaffing is clearly an issue, but this isn't the nurses' fault. It hasn't been too bad, and is better than the Norfolk and Norwich. The food is good here, too. It can take a while for someone to come when you sound the buzzer, but that is nothing to do with the staff - it is because there aren't enough of them. They are welcoming to visitors here and, again, that is better than at the Norfolk and Norwich

• Reply from North Walsham Hospital

  Thank you for your feedback. NCH&C Patient Experience Team

• Good apart from the food

  5

  Submitted by Feedback gathered by Healthwatch Norfolk staff 8th March 2024

  If they served this food in a restaurant on the highway, they would be out of business. This isn't the staff's fault, it's the way the system works. The food seems to be cooked elsewhere, and then brought here and reheated. I was a patient here 15 years ago and hot trolleys used to come up to the ward, and it was like a regular restaurant on the move, but it's not like that any more.

• Reply from North Walsham Hospital

  Thank you for your feedback. If you would like us to comment further about the food, please contact PALS@nchc.nhs.uk. NCH&C Patient Experience Team

• Very well run and organised

  5

  Submitted by Feedback gathered by Healthwatch Norfolk staff 8th March 2024

  This place is very well run and organised. The staff are helpful, and I mostly like the food. They are also good with visitors. The social worker here has also been very nice and helpful.

• Reply from North Walsham Hospital

  Thank you for your feedback. NCH&C Patient Experience Team

• Can't fault the care here

  5

  Submitted by Feedback gathered by Healthwatch Norfolk staff 8th March 2024

  I can't fault the care here. The food is excellent. There is also a lot of kindness. Some places couldn't give a monkey's, but that's not true here. They come and talk to you, which is important when you are on your own. They are also good with visitors. Some places try to cut you down on visitors, but not here - they are marvellous.

• Reply from North Walsham Hospital

  Thank you for your positive feedback. NCH&C Patient Experience Team

• No complaints

  5

  Submitted by Feedback collected by Healthwatch Norfolk staff 8th March 2024

  I have no complaints at all about the care here. The food is very good, and every dish is well-prepared, like in a restaurant. You might sometimes have to wait a couple of minutes for someone to come after you ring the bell, but that's to be expected.

• Reply from North Walsham Hospital

  Thank you for your positive feedback. NCH&C Patient Experience Team

• Not too bad, but I prefer the N & N

  2

  Submitted by Feedback collected by Healthwatch Norfolk staff 7th March 2024

  I have been in the Norfolk and Norwich hospital, and I think that is better than this one. At the N&N they change your pads regularly without you having to ask. Here, you have to ask them. Also they didn't ask me what time I take my eye drops when I arrived, and I had to ask them to do a finger prick for my diabetes - at the N&N they just did it regularly without me having to ask. I also think that they are too focused on health and safety. They won't let visitors bring in food for the patients, and I think this is too cautious. They will let patients do this in the N&N. Also, the staff take a long time to respond to the bell. This isn't their fault, they need more staff. I can't fault the physios one bit, though. And the nurses are really good, too. Ash, Kirsty, Sonia, Michael and John are all excellent. Also, when I caught e. coli, the nurse spotted it very quickly, and they called an ambulance to take me to the N&N, which I am very grateful for.

• Reply from North Walsham Hospital

  I am so sorry to hear of your experience. I would be grateful if you could contact the patient experience team using the following email patientexperience@nchc.nhs.uk. This will enable us to look further into this matter.

• Could do more to combat NHS resources waste

  3

  Submitted by Anonymous 31st July 2019

  It's good to have a local hospital who can serve the needs of the community. One frustrating thing though is that they wouldn't accept old walking sticks and zimmer frames for re-use - it seems a huge waste. I understand this may be a national issue but it's very frustrating when the NHS's resources are so stretched

• Reply from North Walsham Hospital

  Thank you for your feedback. NCH&C Patient Experience Team

• Nice, sociable, and helpful

  5

  Submitted by Anonymous 29th October 2018

  I use this hospital for physio appointments. They are very good as far as I'm concerned. They're nice, sociable and helpful!

• Reply from North Walsham Hospital

  Thank you for your positive feedback. NCH&C Patient Experience Team