William Harvey Hospital (Ashford)
Kennington Road, Willesborough, Ashford, Kent, TN24 0LZContact details and Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)
Patient ratings and reviews
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Reviews
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Review titled Care and helpfulness
Rated 5 stars out of 5
by Tracey mort - Posted on 23 November 2023
To the lovely lady today who bent over backwards to help with my blood test form thankyou and keep doing what you do care
Visited Phlebotomy on November 2023
Review titled William Harvey Hospital (Ashford)
Replied on 28 November 2023
Thank you so much for sending your lovely feedback. I am so pleased to see that a staff member really put herself out to make sure you were provided with such a great service and its so kind of you to acknowledge her work. In order for me to pass your message on to the staff member and her team please could you provide details of the hospital site you was attending and if you know the department that this particular staff member works in. I look forward to from you.
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Review titled 14+ hour wait to be seen
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 17 October 2023
I was taken via ambulance to A&E due to sudden severe pain in my chest and left arm. There was about an hours wait for the ambulance but the paramedics were really good when they arrived. My ECG was fine so the issue wasn't immediately life threatening but they said I needed two blood tests four hours apart to rule out other heart conditions. In addition, I am 18 weeks pregnant. I was waiting 2 hours in A&E with no communication or explanation before finally getting "triaged" and having my first blood test. No one checked the heartbeat of my baby or did a scan (maybe a scan wasn't needed, but I would have thought they should have checked the heartbeat). Nothing was said about getting a second blood test, I was just told to wait in the 'major' unit to see a doctor for the result of my first blood test. When I got there, the place was jam packed and people were laying on the floors. I was told the wait to see a doctor was 14 hours! (Bearing in mind the 1 hour wait for the ambulance, the half hour drive to the hospital, and the 2 hour wait we had already had). At this point the pain had gone and it didn't seem like the second blood test or a check on the baby would be happening so I self discharged. I was told I could get the results of the blood test from my GP on Monday but it's now Tuesday and the results still haven't been sent to my surgery. I am still in the dark as to what happened to me and have no reassurance that the baby is ok. I would avoid going to this A&E unless you really have no choice.
Visited Accident and emergency services on October 2023
Review titled William Harvey Hospital (Ashford)
Replied on 19 October 2023
Thank you for sending your feedback. I am so sorry to read of the terrible time you had when recently attending A&E. This is not the way we expect our patients to be treated. Given the fact that your pregnant and the guidance you was given was that you needed two blood tests four hours apart, I am surprised that staff did not check on you or arrange these tests. I am worried that you have still not been contacted since and that some of these tests have still not been arranged. Please could you email ekhuft.patientvoice@nhs.net with your name and contact number so we can get somebody to contact you or alternatively you could speak to our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) on tel: 01227 783145 or email: ekh-tr.pals@nhs.net. PALS are open Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm, except bank holidays. If you phone and get the voicemail please leave a message and the team will get back to you.
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Review titled Shocking experience - lack of communication was terrible
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 16 October 2023
My mother fell over and hit her head badly on the pavement. She was covered in blood, badly bruised, shocked and in pain. Arriving in A&E she didn't see a triage nurse for 8 hours. After we had been there for 10 hours we were told that there was one doctor on duty and that we should all travel to Canterbury if we wanted to be seen as there would be a further 14 hour wait! When we tried to discharge her to travel to Canterbury we were told that as she had a serious head injury they didn't want us to leave - so we had to move to a different ward where people were lying all over the floor waiting as there were not enough chairs - she was finally seen by a doctor at 2.30am 9 hours after arriving and then she was told that she had to have a CT scan as she might have a bleed on the brain. She finally had this after 10 hours at 3.30am and then we had the results at 4.30am. At 5.30am - 12 hours after arriving, a nurse came over and did a tiny bit of cleaning up. That was all she needed and we were up all night without sleep while my mum was in pain. Absolutely shocking that despite being told that the bleeding might be serious we couldn't even have a nurse or doctor check her over. The lack of staffing and lack of communication was terrible. At one stage after an 11 hour wait two of the nurses had an argument about who should clean my mum up as they didn't think it was their job. Appalling.
Visited Accident and emergency services on October 2023
Review titled William Harvey Hospital (Ashford)
Replied on 17 October 2023
Thank you for sending your feedback. I am so sorry to read that your Mother had such a bad time, especially given the injury she had sustained and the condition she was in. I completely understand your worries and frustrations and this is not the way we would expect our patients to be treated. If you would like us to look into what happened, please contact our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) on tel: 01227 783145 or email: ekh-tr.pals@nhs.net. PALS are open Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm, except bank holidays. If you phone and get the voicemail please leave a message and the team will get back to you. I will pass your feedback onto the department.
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Review titled Appointment reminders
Rated 2 stars out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 03 September 2023
Fed up with text/phone reminders requiring response only to be followed up with vague phone message re forthcoming appointment - if you don't take calls leave more details as you never do recall within 24hrs - do I assume you're cancelling? rescheduling? I'd already confirmed I'd attend by earlier text. Overkill. Pointless. Stressful as I initially cancelled an appointment for fear of being bumped off list because I couldn't confirm my appointment only to turn up on hastily rescheduled appointment to be told I'd cancelled. By the way I'm a cancer patient and anxious not to waste time/appointments only to be stressed to the heavens by this system.
Visited Day treatment services on September 2023
Review titled William Harvey Hospital (Ashford)
Replied on 04 September 2023
Thank you for taking the time to give us your positive feedback. I am so sorry, this is really not what any patients should have to deal with, let alone when suffering with Cancer. I will pass this feedback onto the department as this really needs to be looked in. I will come back to you regarding this matter and advise on what is happening to rectify this issue.
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Review titled Excellent Service
Rated 5 stars out of 5
by Ann Bailey - Posted on 30 August 2023
I was staying in the area en route to France for 6 weeks. Two weeks prior to my journey to Folkestone I had been extremely unwell with a gastric infection. I was not really fully recovered but convinced myself I would improve. Unfortunately I developed further, different gastric symptoms and became concerned about my decision to travel. I phoned 111 and was advised to attend William Harvey. I cannot fault the speedy, efficient, caring and kind service provided by the urgent treatment centre staff. Clinical decisions and assessments were undertaken in a timely manner and I did not have to keep repeating my story. The on call GP listened to my concerns, examined me thoroughly and carefully. I cannot fault her explanation of what was going on, how to manage my symptoms and what to expect from the medication prescribed. She was kind, professional and reassuring. She even started treatment immediately by obtaining one tablet rather than having to wait for a chemist to open the following day, Patient centred care. The NHS at its best. Thank you,
Visited Accident and emergency services on August 2023
Review titled William Harvey Hospital (Ashford)
Replied on 31 August 2023
Thank you for taking the time to give us your feedback. I’m pleased you were treated so well and had such a positive experience. I will make sure to share your kind words with the Team.
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Review titled Chaotic mess with lack of care or experience
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 07 August 2023
Firstly upon arriving my husband and I heard a surgeon shouting at someone over the phone (in a public part of A&E), about one of his patients not receiving a CT "oh I forgot to put it was a head injury, I'll learn that going forward but this is emergent" felt embarrasing and didn't give us confidence that the team here know what they're doing. Secondly, there was a lack of empathy, my bloods were taken then ECG and I was told to go to secondary waiting area, was told 2hr wait then 5hr wait...I get it is busy but to expect people to wait 5hrs and then tell me I can leave and results for bloods will be sent to GP, my GP never received these and I am now being advised to come back.
Visited Accident and emergency services on August 2023
Review titled William Harvey Hospital (Ashford)
Replied on 09 August 2023
Thank you for taking the time to give us your feedback. I am so sorry to read that you had such a bad experience and fully understand your frustrations surrounding your very lengthy wait and then having to go back after already having a blood test. If you would like us to look into what happened, please contact our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) on tel: 01227 783145 or email: ekh-tr.pals@nhs.net. PALS are open Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm, except bank holidays. If you phone and get the voicemail please leave a message and the team will get back to you.
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Review titled Dreadfull
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 07 August 2023
Attended via Ambulance, left on trolley for 9 hours, given one 500ml bottle of water all day, offered lunch but not appealing, took blood but did nothing else, didn't even tell me results. Discharged myself as nothing happened period and able to receive more care at home. I wouldn't recommend this hospital to my worst enemy.
Visited Accident and emergency services on August 2023
Review titled William Harvey Hospital (Ashford)
Replied on 08 August 2023
Thank you for taking the time to give us your feedback. I am so sorry to read that you had such a terrible experience. If you would like us to look into what happened, please contact our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) on tel: 01227 783145 or email: ekh-tr.pals@nhs.net. PALS are open Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm, except bank holidays. If you phone and get the voicemail please leave a message and the team will get back to you.
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Review titled No problems here
Rated 5 stars out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 09 August 2023
Thank you all for taking care of my mum last night. Caring attitude and thorough testing to make sure she was ok to come home this morning.
Visited Accident and emergency services on August 2023
Review titled William Harvey Hospital (Ashford)
Replied on 15 August 2023
Thank you for taking the time to share your mum's experience in the Emergency Department at William Harvey Hospital. Your lovely comments are much appreciated and will be shared with the team. I hope your mum is feeling much better. Best wishes
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Review titled Awful service
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 28 July 2023
No diagnosis in 9 years. No one seems interested in working out the problem or even has any differential diagnosis. No one seems interested in following up after test results or bothers explaining them. I've been refused a request to see a consultant even though my symptoms are worsening and to top it all, my GP surgery tells me that if I want to see the test results I have to request them from my consultant. When I phone the hospital, the system repeatedly hear urology instead of neurology or if I use the consultants name it is not recognised. I have followed instructions and said operator at the appropriate time, expecting to speak to a human only to find, after several minutes waiting that operator is not available. I fell utterly abandoned by the NHS.
Visited Neurology on July 2023
Review titled William Harvey Hospital (Ashford)
Replied on 01 August 2023
Thank you for taking the time to give us your feedback. I am so sorry to read that you feel there is a lack of interest regarding finding a diagnosis and that you have been dealing with this for such a very long time. I can only imagine how stressful and disheartening this must be for you. You are absolutely right about the Trust telephone system and this is something that we are already working with our IT department on as we aware of the issues patients are experiencing. If you would like us to look into what is happening regarding your diagnosis please contact our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) on tel: 01227 783145 or email: ekh-tr.pals@nhs.net. PALS are open Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm, except bank holidays. If you phone and get the voicemail please leave a message and the team will get back to you.
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Review titled So good but toilets
Rated 4 stars out of 5
by ferne1234 - Posted on 15 July 2023
Several stays of four days during July and August 2023. Staff were of top quality as was the care. My complaint is about the cleanliness of the ward toilet. Lots of cleanliness except in the ward toilet situated about three meters from the ward. Lotsof cleanliness spoilt by a toilet which was really unfit to use and needed a cleaner to attend on a very rgular basis. I appreciate how hard it must be and that patients can be there own enemy but come on please some toilet improvements are a must.
Visited Accident and emergency services on July 2023
Review titled William Harvey Hospital (Ashford)
Replied on 20 July 2023
Thank you for letting us know you received top quality care whilst in William Harvey Hospital. However I'm sorry to hear that the ward toilet was not clean. I will pass your comments on to the service to look into. Best wishes
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Information supplied by East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust