"A&E Excellent treatment , horrendous waiting area"

Anything else?

I had reason to visit A&E recently with a knee injury. When I was seen the staff were lovely. Very kind and helpful although obviously very busy. This part could not be faulted in any way and I was amazed to be given a physiotherapy appointment before leaving. However, the wait was three hours (which I had no issue with) in the most horrible surroundings imaginable. The waiting area is like something out of the 1930's, far too small with everyone crowded into a few chairs and although I'm sure it is clean as it's so old it doesn't look it. If it's used as device to discourage people from going to A&E it certainly works! I have a phobia of hospital and doctor's waiting rooms and it took all my husband's powers of persuasion to keep me from leaving. Please RHCH do something about this area as when you have such a good class of staff and treatment patients deserve somewhere much better than this to wait.