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Summary of report content

Healthwatch Brighton and Hove reviewed its recent feedback about the A&E department at the Royal Sussex County Hospital since September 2021. 

The substantive issues raised were:

• COVID safety: poor social distancing in an overcrowded A&E department.
• Environmental and safety concerns: overcrowding, groups of people coming in together and socialising whilst others were ill, or drunk.
• Staff attitudes (non-medical): sometimes unwelcoming, offhand or rude.
• Lack of privacy: in triage rooms and in corridors.
• Inordinate waits and lack of communications about where people are in the system.
• A lack of pain relief: not provided or offered after triage.
• A lack of refreshments, or comfort breaks: patients not being offered drinks for several hours, with long waits on trolleys without being seen or spoken to by staff
• Insufficient staff to provide care and support: who are often over worked and stressed.
• High praise for medical staff and treatment once seen

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Report 

202206~2.PDF