Report of visit to ward 40 at UHCW

We visited ward 40  at University Hospital Coventry twice in September 2023. We talked to patients, some staff and carried out observations to understand care on the wards. We found:

• Mixed experiences of care and communication about care 
• Communication regarding discharge planning was highlighted as patients said they did not feel informed
• Concerns about the service of food: hygiene standards and knowledge of ingredients within the meals
• Patients said  accessing drinks in the evenings is difficult and said it depends on whether staff are available.

We made four recommendations to managers at the Hospital and their response is added into the report.

These visits are part of a programme of ward visits agreed by the Healthwatch Coventry Steering Group based on a review of experiences shared from local people highlighting a need to find out more about patient experiences of care, communication, and discharge.