I have just visited Pembury hospital for the first time, having in earlier years used the old pembury and k&s hospitals respectively. May be it's my age and value base but the new hospital feels like a corporate entity rather than a public service, designed to offer personal care to the community. I suspect that the quality of care and engagement on an individual basis is as good as most reviews say, however the building design and general layout of waiting rooms and vast empty spaces would be more In keeping with a shopping mall or educational facility. My reflection is based on the A&E dept which is cramped with rows of chairs positioned with little thought to social interaction or the need for personal space and a little piece of privacy. I could not see any magazines or other distractions available to patients, just a large TV screen with time waiting information. I tried to reflect on the changing times of our society and how social and medical services need to respond accordingly, but I was so disappointed to see the absence of what could be a living emblem of our enviable NHS system. Instead, I thought I had arrived in the USA! Is there any chance of making the A&E dept a tad more inviting and comforting please?
"Where has the NHS gone"
About: The Tunbridge Wells Hospital The Tunbridge Wells Hospital Tunbridge Wells TN2 4QJ
Posted via nhs.uk
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