Archived: Chippenham Community Hospital

Relatives had told us that they were concerned about staffing levels on the ward. They said that sometimes there were not enough staff to provide the level of care their relatives needed. This included support with continence and eating and drinking. They told us that call bells were not answered promptly. They told us people sometimes went without food and drink.

Positive comments were received about therapy staff, who were described as helpful, willing and supportive. However one relative told us that their spouse received very little therapeutic support whilst in hospital

There were also concerns expressed about the lack of social space where patients could enjoy social interaction or activities.

On the day of our visit, most patients spoke positively about the staff, saying 'all the staff are fantastic' and 'they are kind and caring'. Many people commented that the staff treated them well. They said they received support with daily tasks such as going to the toilet, washing, dressing and eating and drinking. However they thought that sometimes there were not enough staff and they were always busy. They said that sometimes they had to wait a long time for staff to respond to their call bells.

Some people told us that they did not have enough to occupy them during the day and they became bored. They said that they seldom used the sitting room because it was uninviting. We observed that few people used the room on the day of our visit.

People told us that they felt safe on the ward and felt able to raise any concerns with the staff. However the people we spoke to said that they did not know the process for making a formal complaint. Although we were told that every patient was given an information booklet about the ward, few people seemed to be aware of it.