Enter and View Report: The Emergency Department at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, April 2025
On 7th April 2025, eight trained and DBS-checked Healthwatch volunteers visited the Emergency Department at the Royal Sussex Hospital, alongside five members of the Healthwatch Brighton and Hove staff team.
Over six hours, the team spoke to thirty-one patients and their relatives and asked them for their views on their experience of the department including how quickly they had been triaged, whether they had been kept informed on waiting times, had they been able to access refreshments, whether they were comfortable and what would improve their experience.
We also conducted a review of the environment, visiting the Urgent Treatment Centre, the Ambulatory Clinical Decision Unit, the Emergency Department main reception, Majors and Resus and Ward 2C (previously known as the ‘Enhanced Observation Unit’ for patients with mental health concerns). You can read our full report, which is available to download at the end of this page.
Findings from our environmental audit
Healthwatch last visited the Emergency Department at the Royal Sussex County Hospital during the PLACE (Patient-led assessments of the care environment) visits in October and November 2024. We carried out a specific Enter & View of the department in March 2024 and our earlier report can be found here.
Following our latest visit, we scored all areas of the department highly for the environments being welcoming, safe, caring, well-organised and calm, with the scores ranging from between seven, to ten out of ten.
Compared to our last visit in March 2024, the scores awarded to the Emergency Department Reception and Majors and Resus had improved.
Our suggested areas for improvement are:
- improving signage
- installing video displays and positioning information systems to make them more accessible
- improving fire and safety
- providing clearer staff IDs and information about staff uniforms
- improving patient dignity (majors)
Disclaimer
Please note that this report relates to findings observed on the specific date set out above. Our report is not a representative portrayal of the experiences of all service users and staff, only an account of what was observed and contributed at the time.
Results from our Enter & View
Our visit to the Emergency Department of the Royal Sussex County Hospital revealed an overall positive picture from the patient perspective but has identified some areas that need improvement.
- 75% of patients we spoke to were ‘very satisfied’ or ‘satisfied’ with their experience of the Emergency Department.
- Only 18% of patients we spoke to were either ‘dissatisfied’ or ‘very dissatisfied’.
It is positive to hear that patients were complimentary about the care medical staff provided and how quickly most patients were being seen. It is also positive to note improvements in the Emergency Department environment ratings since our last Enter and View that we conducted in March 2024.
However, we also heard that patients are concerned about issues such as:
- privacy and dignity (this is especially an issue for those waiting on trolleys in corridors in the Majors Unit)
- noise levels
- lack of information about waiting times
- poor seating arrangements in waiting areas
Response from University Hospitals Sussex
Huge thanks to the team at Healthwatch Brighton and Hove for supporting the Trust with this Enter and View, and for the insightful and professional report. As ever, Healthwatch facilitate the voice of patients, having real influence over the improvements we plan and actions are being taken in response, including supporting better information about waiting times for patients. This report will shape our next steps and will inform the Trust’s strategic plans for the Emergency Department.
