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
A huge thank you
5
Submitted by Collected by Healthwatch Norfolk staff23rd February 2024
Absolutely amazing treatment, a huge thank you to everybody!
Submitted by Collected by Healthwatch Norfolk staff23rd February 2024
I brought my wife to A&E with a serious water infection and was told she'd have a simple treatment and be out so I went home to come back later. 6 hours later I'd heard nothing so came back and then they told me she'd be staying in. It was a shambles! I hadn't got any of her medication or clothes with me because they didn't ring. They had my phone number but nobody bothered so I had to go away and get them again. Hours and hours it took to sort everything out. An absolute shambles.
Submitted by Collected by Healthwatch Norfolk staff23rd February 2024
I have to have regular treatments every few months, they recognise me and know my name. I feel like they care. I came from Cambridge 18 months ago and this hospital is excellent compared. If I don't have any visitors they will sit with me and they know I don't like males so they don't put me with any without a female also there.
felt unwell went to hospital whithin an hour i was in icu isolation ward couldnt diagnose the prob at first as there were lots of things wrong suspected possible TB was then diagnosed as sepsis was in for a week came out all sorted. staff consultants nurses etc, fantastic heaps of praise. there is always going to be disruption especially when overun with patients but they save lives and they saved mine
Submitted by Feedback collected by Healthwatch Norfolk staff31st January 2024
My experience was a couple of years ago. I found that there was a lack of communication at the hospital when my son was in intensive care and needed surgery. A&E were very good and picked up his internal injuries and physio were brilliant. However, the consultant had him on a drip and told him to keep still but then the Orthopaedic team tried to get him out of bed - so it's the teams not communicating. A&E then said his arm was broken and put a cast on. Then they said it wasn't broken so took the cast off. Then they put the cast back on and they tried putting it on the wrong arm. I told them what was wrong but didn't want to make a complaint at the time. The hospital also said he didn't need surgery, but when I took him to the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital they said he did need surgery. All the physios at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital were good but the care at Addenbrookes and Norwich was much better.
Submitted by Feedback collected by a Healthwatch Norfolk employee26th January 2024
My four year old daughter was on a ward for four days with Pneumonia. It was so loud. The staff were laughing and joking on the ward. Staff changeovers were noisy. Staff on the front desk were talking loudly even at 1am. We couldn't get any sleep at all and my daughter's anxiety went up. I complained and we were moved to a side room but only for one night before being moved back on to the ward without warning. The staff were lovely, just too loud!
Rude and incompetent staff throughout this hospital, lazy ambulance drivers, dirty public areas, selfish receptionists and completely inadequate medical personnel, I think it needs to be placed into special measures.
Receptionist was very rude and abrupt when I communicated with her.
If you are having a bad day, please do not take this out on us patients.
This is not all staff on reception as others are friendly and doing a fantastic job, remembering what a smile is.
I was in QEHKL A & E on Saturday 13th May 1.30pm following a referral via 111. I was quite poorly post covid so quite happy with the care given. They all work so hard.
Triaged 3 times by 111:
1) first call made by me around 9am to 111
2) call back by a clinician 111
3) another call back by a 111 Doctor who referred me to QEHKL with advance notice given to QEHKL as xray required post covid (positive May 2nd). QEHKL aware I would be there. Covid Negative on 11th May.
Arrived at QEHKL on time. Had to hunt down a working car park meter. Only one working. I was with my husband.
A & E:
Had to get pass the GP front door receptionist despite saying 111 referral. This receptionist then directed me to another receptionist.
Second receptionist had my details on the system, but still asked a brief medical history.
Went to A & E waiting area.
Triaged by a clinician in red scrubs, with repeat medical questions but print out was very comprehensive from 111. Told that I had a chest infection and a slightly high temperature. Would need a chest xray to rule out anything nasty post covid. Would need antibiotics.
Back to sit in waiting room.
Triaged again by a different Doctor, different room. Green scrubs. Same questions. Told I would need a chest xray and bloods.
Back to sit in waiting room.
Directed to Xray.
Checked in for Xray and asked to wait. More people came in, sitting waiting.
A clinician came into our area and asked us why were we sitting there? as the radiographers couldn't see us. Should be sitting in the corridor through the doors. Receptionist quizzed by the clinician- it was her first shift and was told to ask patients to sit where we were. Anyway, we all moved to the corridor for xray.
Xrayed and an ECG (not aware of that but ok). Whilst having my ECG the doors opened unexpectedly with a female clinician, blue scrubs, searching for a blue tray (???). Bearing in mind I was semi naked. She said she'd keep her eyes down but needed a blue tray, walking round the room and took one off the trolley (Don't mind the patient.....). The professional taking my ECG apologised.
Xray and ECG all done. Still no bloods. I asked out of interest why weren't bloods done earlier, as I'm aware of lab timing for results. Response was that this has been asked many times for blood to be taken at point of triage if required, but falls on seniors' deaf ears, it would save so much time. This was now about 2 hrs in from arriving but OK.
Back to waiting room.
Second Doctor who triaged me asked if I felt better after taking the paracetamol - I wasn't given any. Doctor asked a colleague to give me some. Still no bloods.
I spoke to a guy in blue scrubs a bit later about my bloods, he looked on the system and didn't appear too pleased. He then took my bloods advising about 2hrs for results to come back. He apologised.
Back to waiting room.
It seemed very unorganised with no flow. Very disjointed. From people watching, others were experiencing the same. One chaperone recommended recording first chat then just press play every time.
One patient was told in front of everyone that they were just waiting his xray results, his reply was that he hadn't yet had his xray.
Clinicians were calling people who weren't there, replies from the waiters / chaperones saying they'd already been called, quite embarrassing really.
Very very disorganised. It needs a good walk through from front door all the way through, by someone who will be listened to.
I was happy, no complaints as I was just happy to be seen.
Just very disorganised with no flow sadly. I felt that staff had no directions and seemed like rabbits in headlights. Seemed quite unprofessional.
A big thanks to all the staff, they just need the system to flow.