Patient Experience of Outpatient Services at The James Cook University Hospital

Summary

A total of 209 questionnaires were completed over a two-week period in the five outpatient departments. 116 females completed the questionnaire and 87 males (six people did not wish to disclose).

A total of 70% of patients were attending a follow up appointment and 30% were attending their first appointment at The James Cook University Hospital. Of those we spoke to who were attending a follow up appointment, 96% of patients felt their appointment that day was necessary.

Some patients voiced their frustrations with the length of time they had to wait for
their appointment, with a number of people experiencing lengthy delays due to clinics
running behind schedule. There was also a number of comments received about the
cost of parking at the hospital.

Other suggestions for improvement included:

• Free tea / coffee whilst waiting for appointment.
• Improved patient transport, picking patients up on time and preventing patients being late for their appointment.
• Better design of waiting areas to allow space for wheelchairs and pushchairs.
• Use of a monitor, giving electronic updates of appointment schedule and length of delay.
• Provide more information about aftercare.
• Improved accuracy on letters sent out confirming appointments.
• Better privacy at reception desks.

Following this piece of work, we met with representatives from NHS South Tees
Clinical Commissioning Group to discuss these findings and next steps.