Patients Perspectives of the Royal Sussex County Hospital Outpatient's Departments, July 2016

Background

Subsequent to Healthwatch fieldwork, the CQC identified the following problems in OPD in its published report:

Confidentiality

• Inadequate storage of medical records. Notes not always stored securely and around 4,500 records going missing each month.
• Breaches of confidentiality were observed in waiting areas when individual circumstances were discussed within earshot of patients.

Cleanliness

• Required standards of cleanliness were not consistently met. Stained curtains and dust and debris were visible in some areas.
• Cleaning checklists were not visible in a number of treatment rooms.
• Hand hygiene audit scores were below the required standard.

Patient relations

• Inconsistent levels of caring and compassionate care delivered by staff. Patients not always treated with dignity and respect. 
• Staff did not always consider the privacy of patients.
• Staff did not always introduce themselves to patients.

Waiting times and handling of enquiries

• Failure to meet England standard for referral to treatment times (RTT) and also failed to meet cancer waiting and treatment times.
• Higher than national average of cancellation of operations.
• Call centre data indicated almost half of all calls made by patients had been abandoned and unanswered.