Listening to Local Voices: How Your Feedback Helped Shape Emergency Care at Addenbrooke’s
We’re proud to see how your feedback has helped contribute to shaping both long-term plans and immediate improvements at Addenbrooke’s Hospital.
“Healthwatch Cambridgeshire's 'The future of urgent and emergency care at Addenbrooke’s' report has supported the foundations for our work to develop our long term plans for healthcare. The report, which was co-produced by a team of Health Champion volunteers, looked at what matters to patients and their ideas for how we can improve urgent and emergency care at Addenbrooke’s. The findings in the report also helped to shape improvements in the shorter term including an expansion of our same day emergency care service, and virtual appointments for urgent care.”
— Dr Sian Coggle, Clinical Director for Acute Care Strategy, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH)
Improvements since our report was published:
Arriving at the hospital
- A new ‘wayfinding’ app now helps patients navigate around the hospital site
- Clear signage has been added for the Emergency Department (ED), Urgent Treatment Centre, and Children’s ED
- Temporary parking is now available at the ED and Urgent Treatment Centre entrances in emergencies, with additional spaces across the road for parents with children and disabled patients
Waiting environment
- Patients no longer need to queue outside; there is now covered seating under a heated tunnel canopy
- The nursing triage desk has been relocated further into the building, away from the entrance doors to protect people from bad weather
- Triage processes have been updated to offer more options, including redirection to the Urgent Treatment Centre, local minor injury units, or GP medical centres where same-day appointments can be booked
Better communication
- Estimated waiting times are now displayed on screens in the waiting room and announced over a tannoy system
- A senior nurse (Band 6 or 7) is now based in the waiting room 24/7 to provide real-time support and updates
- Work is underway with VoiceAbility to provide quieter waiting areas and buzzer systems for neurodiverse patients
- Patients can access hot and cold food at mealtimes, and drink rounds are completed regularly
Waiting room design
- Large equipment has been removed to reduce clutter
- A privacy zone has been introduced at the entrance, with signage asking people to stay behind a line during triage conversations
- More seating has been added and rearranged to improve comfort and visibility for staff
- A full redesign and refurbishment of the waiting room is in the planning stage
Accessibility
- Wheelchair availability has improved, although remains inconsistent at times
- Staff are trained to support patients with sensory needs and can move people to quieter areas where possible
- Ongoing service-user visits to the ED continue to guide improvements
Children’s care
- The main Children’s Emergency Department has been relocated outside of the adult ED, with dedicated signage
- Children can now be directed from the main entrance straight to the new children’s area
- While children seen by the Urgent Treatment Centre still wait in the adult area, this will change with a dedicated children’s waiting room opening in November 2025
- A new large children’s waiting room with toys and sensory equipment has already been added to the paediatric ward
Thanks to everyone who shared their views with us. Your experiences helped make these changes possible.
