- NHS hospital
Great Western Hospital
Report from 6 February 2025 assessment
Contents
Ratings - Urgent and emergency services
Our view of the service
On the 8th of April we carried out an inspection of urgent and emergency care services at The Great Western Hospital (GWH) NHS Foundation Trust. We inspected due to increased number of reported incidents in the urgent and emergency service.
Urgent emergency care (UEC) sat within the division of medicine at GWH. Following a recent build project which was completed in November 2024, services had linked geographically to form an integrated front door (IDF). UEC was managed across the emergency department (ED), children's emergency unit (CEU) and urgent treatment centre (UTC) collaboratively, serving the population of Swindon and its surrounding communities. The department received patients from both the ambulance service and individuals self-presenting to the front door.
The trust had relocated to a new ED in September 2024 followed by the move into the new CEU in early November. Each of the areas was comprised of the following.
Emergency department: 16 bays in majors, 3 rapid assessment areas, 6 resus cubicles, 7 ambulatory assessment rooms (incorporating 3 majors conversion cubicles), ambulatory majors with 41 chairs plus 2 wheelchair spaces and a 4 bedded observation unit.
Children’s emergency unit – 3 fast-flow assessment spaces, 13 patient spaces including resus room x1, high acuity bays x2, baby room x1, sensory room x1
Urgent treatment centre: adult – 14 consult rooms, plaster room x1, treatment Room x1, designated waiting area. children (Separate area) – 4 consult rooms, designated waiting area
We spoke with 15 patients and 18 staff and reviewed 20 patient care and treatment records.
The service was in breach of the legal regulation relating to safe care and treatment, dignity and respect and governance.
People's experience of this service
Patients and any family or carers with them were generally positive about the staff treating them with kindness and dignity and providing effective care and treatment. On occasions patients had to wait to be treated for a long time after an initial assessment. Most people and family or carers said that communication with them was good despite how busy the department was. People did not experience discrimination or inequality. People with additional needs did not feel disadvantaged. The service made reasonable adjustments for people with disabilities and communication difficulties. However, people could not access timely care or treatment in the ambulatory area or the ambulance queue.