Emergency department survey 2008
The survey asked about the experiences of people who have visited an emergency department (sometimes known as Accident & Emergency, A&E or Casualty).
Accident and Emergency (A&E) departments assess and treat people with serious injuries and those in need of emergency treatment. They are usually open 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year.
The survey offers an insight into the experiences of patients, and we use this information in the assessment of NHS trusts. The questions in the survey cover the issues that patients consider to be important in their care.
Emergency department survey 2008
This is our third survey of emergency departments. Just under 50,000 people took part, which is a response rate of 40%.
Key findings
The survey shows improvements in communication since it was last carried out in 2003 and 2004. More patients said that they had enough time to discuss their problem and that they were definitely listened to by doctors and nurses.
But the survey results also highlight some key areas of concern where there remains scope for improvement:
- The survey shows that 59% of people said staff definitely did everything they could to help control pain and a further 27% said they did to some extent, however, 14% said they did not.
- In addition, many patients could do with more information upon discharge. About a third (37%) said they were given a complete explanation of possible side effects of their medication, up from 35% in 2003 and 36% in 2004. Only 37% said they definitely received information about when they can resume activities such as driving or going back to work, up from 35% in 2004
- Around half of patients went to A&E by car, yet one in four people found it difficult to find a convenient place to park on arrival.
- While 98% of patients waited less than four hours to be examined by a doctor or nurse, 27% said their overall visit to the emergency department lasted longer than four hours.
Find out more in our supporting briefing note highlighting key issues
Full 2008 national results with historical comparisons
Tables showing the national percentage results from the 2008 survey compared with previous years (where questions have been asked before) are available in this document.
Full 2008 national results with historical comparisons
Feedback reports for NHS trusts
Local trust reports for this and previous surveys are available from our searchable publications library.
