The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) has circa 500 beds, 28 wards and serves a population of around 331,000 people who are living in Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire.
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879 responses from the local community
Everything is so well explained
5
Submitted by Feedback collected by Healthwatch Norfolk staff20th October 2022
So far it has been a fantastic experience, everybody is so nice and everything is so well explained. I can't think of anything that would make it better, perhaps a glass of white wine!
Submitted by collected by Healthwatch Norfolk staff19th October 2022
I have been ever so well treated. I have been coming here for a few weeks as I have an infection in my eye and have no complaints at all. I feel really well cared for, there has been good communications - excellent from my first point of contact. The nurses and Drs are all good, they're looking after me. I have to come back in four weeks time, they will send me a letter with an appointment on it.
Submitted by Collected by Healthwatch Norfolk staff17th October 2022
My op was a bit weird - I was there for an hour having an op on my eye and the surgeon was good as they did what they needed to do, but more communication would have been good during the op. I saw the tools and could hear the surgeon and his team muttering to each other but the tool made a lot of sudden noise with no warning, if I had been nervous I might have twitched but if they had told me then I would have been aware of what was coming.
Submitted by collected by Healthwatch Norfolk staff17th October 2022
I want to say first everyone here is lovely. It is the organisation of things which is out of control. I called 111 yesterday afternoon, they didn't call me back when they said they would. When they did call back they sent me to A+E. There are 2 reception desks at A&E urgent care and GP. I didn't know but I went to the wrong one (GP) but they got me to see a GP who gave me a prescription but there were no pharmacies open at that time to collect it. They told me to come to the eye clinic in the morning for an appointment at 11.15. I was seen at 12, which I understand but they didn't know I was coming when I got here. Everyone is always so lovely and I cannot fault the people here at all but the systems are not in place, the communications between departments is not there and that is frustrating for the staff.
Submitted by collected by Healthwatch Norfolk staff17th October 2022
I think the new eye clinic is wonderful. It is quiet and not an over excitable feel to it and they are very efficient. I have hardly had to wait, I have mostly gone in early to my appointments. The staff couldn't have been nicer, I have felt cared for and they have fully met my needs. The system has fully worked for me, I have been waiting for this it is so important. I get the feeling everyone knows what each other is doing. I am very familiar with the 2 people I have seen, they are very good here.
Submitted by collected by Healthwatch Norfolk staff17th October 2022
The building was all clean and tidy, easy to find my way around but I did have to ask where the toilet was. The staff are all polite and kind, I had an operation 3 weeks ago for the 3rd time. The correspondence has been good, I have had letters, phone calls and text message reminders which allow me to confirm or change the appointment.
Submitted by collected by Healthwatch Norfolk staff14th October 2022
I have had several appointments here at the eye clinic, there is a lovely environment here and great people - very kind and caring. I am thrilled with my treatment. I have had letters, but also because of the known postal delays they have rung me as well - I have always known and understood what I was coming in for and when. There is nothing I could improve on from this side, but just a minor thing from the day surgery - why did I have to be there at 12.45 when my surgery was booked for much later. I am sure they have a very good reason but if that reason could be put in the letter and explained then that would be really good.
Submitted by Feedback collected by Healthwatch Norfolk 13th October 2022
The staff are friendly and very helpful. They also explained everything to me very well. I was dropped off at the door but there was a bit of a huddle around the reception desk which meant I had to wait, but it was okay in the end. It would be good if there was a clock on the wall.
Submitted by collected by Healthwatch Norfolk staff13th October 2022
I was here 30 minutes early (my own fault!) for my 11.30 appointment and am leaving at 11.39 - Everyone is very friendly and professional, kind and caring. I have had a brilliant day! There is nothing better I could want and they couldn't improve on my experience. The environment is good, good signage and the letters (and phone calls) were clear and precise and very easy to understand.
We visited A&E in QEH as our 17 yr old autistic son had been ill for 4 days, sent up by the GP to see gastro Dr's as he has a complex bowel history, an ileostomy and diarrheoa loosing 200 - 300 mls and hour and needed hospital care. Luckily we have a special pump he can go on to have fluids straight into his tummy through a PEG which normally helps keep him out of hospital, but now we needed the hospitals help to manage.
He was assessed by triage, he needed bloods and a reasonable adjustment was made and he was sat in a quiet room away from the noisey waiting room (which we appreciated). He scored 5 on his NEWS (warning score for health emergencies) and should have seen a Dr fairly quickly.
11 hours passed and we saw no-one. No observations were repeated during this 11 hours. Not one member of staff came in the room. No-one offered any refreshments for him or checked he had taken any fluids or what he had lost from his ileostomy (so his diarrhoea is made worse). Myself and my husband popped out periodically and checked on when we were to see someone and told they were 'on it'.
At 11pm a Dr came in who had come on the night shift to check the bloods. No one had taken any during this time, even though we had chased this a couple of times. Our son doesnt like blood tests, but we are always willing to try as he he gets ill and needs to try to have them done. Not one person tried to take blood from him even though he was potentially very ill with a bowel blockage. No one came near him to ask to try or even came in the room.
When i challenged the staff that if he wasnt autistic, would this have happened, would he have been ignored like this, with no bloods or repeat observations, no one asking how much fluid he has lost through his ileostomy or if he has drank anything since being there, they could not answer, they assumed someone had tried to take bloods and they had been told that as he was autistic he was 'difficult' to bleed in a behavioural way and that as parents we were there taking care of everything.
We decided to take him home as nothing was being done for him at the hospital, we were keeping him alive with his fluid pump, with doing his care ourselves, i could sleep with him overnight, take his observations and felt that if he collapsed over night we would call 999 and bring him back and this was safer than being at QEH. We were very let down, it was so sad. He was let down and his life was put at risk. If it wasnt for the fact that i am a nurse, my son could have been near dead by the time the Dr had come to see him at 11pm.
He did have a small bowel obstruction, we returned to A&E the next day and a Dr finally actually examined him within 4 hours. Someone did try to take bloods which was a start. And this should all have happened the day before and not put our sons life at risk. I hope the Dr and Nurse we spoke to never ignore an autistic patient again. Shame on you QEH.