"I just felt the area was not an environment for confidentiality"

I arrived at the urology out patients area at PRI and it was unclear how you entered the area. So many different signs on the door. The buzzer wasn’t working so I went in.

It wasn’t clear where the reception area was I walked in and 3 staff turned to look at me I spoke to one of them and said I had an appointment, it wasn’t clear who she was, I was told to sit in waiting area. She wasn’t welcoming, no interaction other than sit in waiting area.

I didn’t know where this was I could see lots of chairs but it did not look like a waiting area. I had to ask if this was where I was to sit. I felt this area was not private I could hear clearly what was being discussed with other patients waiting to be seen.

A pleasant student nurse (I know that because she told me) was on her first placement and she took me to a trolley/bed in same area as the waiting area and pulled the screen to do a bladder scan. Again I felt this was not a private area, I could hear the patients chatting who were waiting and I just felt this was not a private and  this would have been better in a room. 

When other patients were taken to this area some of them were elderly and I was back sitting in the waiting area I could hear what was being said to them as some of them could not hear as well so the staff had to speak louder.

When I was sitting in the waiting area an elderly man was given a hot cup of tea and he was quite shaky there was nowhere for him to put his cup of tea so he had to sit and hold it, I was concerned he was going to spill it on himself. 

The student nurse was lovely she spoke to me and explained what would happen with my care. I then saw the nurse who took me into a room and I had a consultation with her. She was lovely too very pleasant in her manner, explained my appointment and results. No complaints about my interaction with the student nurse or trained nurse.

I just felt the area was not an environment for confidentiality of the patients and I could hear clearly names and dates of births of patients and why they were there.