Our views about Southend Hospital's A&E Department

Healthwatch Southend has the legal power to Enter and View places where NHS and some social care services are provided. We can look at the environment and talk to patients and staff about their experiences. This isn't a formal inspection, in the way that the Care Quality Commission does.

We went to Southend Hospital's A&E Department in May 2025. We had heard from some patients about their concerns about waiting times and the condition of the waiting areas. There had also been some press coverage. We were aware that the Mid & South Essex Hospitals had funding to improve the Department, but the Trust was still keen to have an independent view of the area. We visited the children's waiting room which had already been upgraded.

What did we recommend?

• signposting both outside and inside the Hospital could be improved - something we have asked for previously

• the need to see the streaming nurse before going to the reception desk could be made clearer

• patients should be asked if they had any communication needs - being hard of hearing, in particular - so that they did not miss being called for assessment or treatment

• there were a number of patients in the waiting room who had been called in by their consultants for checks, rather than being there because of an accident. We felt these patients should wait elsewhere in the Hospital

We have asked the Trust to provide us with a written response to our recommendations and will publish this when received.

Read our report below:

Enter_View Southend A_E May 2025.pdf

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