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A few points needing attention

Posted By DDebby

"A few points needing attention"

About: University Hospital Hairmyres / Emergency Department

(as a relative),

I attended A&E with my mother. A few points needing attention in the waiting area. 

-Signage is needed to ask people attending with relatives and other people waiting to be seen to be mindful of unwell people waiting to be seen. Loud videos/music and FaceTime calls from mobile phones ongoing when people are visibly unwell and struggling with noise/light/nausea. Bad manners really. A member of staff should be monitoring this, a health care support worker, and voicing to the waiting area the need to be respectful, they should be the eyes/ears for the nursing staff to see visibly who is deteriorating, needing seen sooner etc. 

-water cooler and cups should be available

-visible and easy accessible hand gel. 

-possible security solution staff present also due to complex issues coming through the doors,

-fix the squeaky toilet door! 

-staff at front desk very nice, helpful and efficient.

-nursing staff triage area and in assessment unit very nice also and doing a great job. 

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Responses

Response from Shirley-Ann O'Hare, Senior Nurse - Emergency Directorate, University Hospital Hairmyres, NHS Lanarkshire 2 months ago
Shirley-Ann O'Hare
Senior Nurse - Emergency Directorate, University Hospital Hairmyres,
NHS Lanarkshire

Submitted on 21/09/2025 at 19:08
Published on Care Opinion at 19:08

picture of Shirley-Ann O'Hare

Dear DDebby

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your feedback. I’m truly sorry to hear that your mother needed to attend Hairmyres Emergency Department, and I hope she is now feeling much better.

I appreciate your thoughtful suggestions. I will share your comments with the Emergency Department team, especially regarding signage to remind visitors that patients are here because they are unwell. While we do our best to maintain a calm environment, unfortunately, we are unable to prevent patients or relatives from watching videos or making phone calls.

I’m sorry that water from the cooler was not offered to you during your visit. Please know that it is always available on request from our nursing or reception team.

Thank you for highlighting the need for hand gel and the issue with the squeaky toilet door. I will ensure that hand gel is readily available and that the door is fixed as soon as possible.

I understand your concerns about the lack of security staff. At present, we do not have security available to assist with complex issues, but I will share your feedback with the relevant teams.

Finally, your kind words for our front desk and nursing staff mean a great deal. I will make sure your appreciation is passed on—they will be very grateful to hear it.

Kind Regards

Shirley-anne

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