Service Users’ Views: Wexham Park and Frimley Park Hospitals

Healthwatch East Berkshire spoke with patients, carers, visitors, volunteers and staff throughout 2025 to understand experiences of care at Frimley Park and Wexham Park hospitals.

What people valued

Patients frequently praised the kindness, professionalism and dedication of frontline teams.

Cancer services at Frimley Park received particularly strong feedback, alongside positive experiences of urgent cardiac care, A&E, day surgery, physiotherapy, fracture and cataract clinics, maternity care and interpreter support.

Many people also reported clear clinical explanations, good aftercare and caring staff.

Key areas for improvement

Communication: Patients and carers wanted clearer, more timely updates about appointments, referrals, test results, treatment plans and discharge times. Contacting services to change appointments or follow up referrals was sometimes difficult.
Waiting and access: Long waits were reported in A&E, outpatient clinics, referrals and some specialist services. People also raised concerns about overcrowded waiting areas, limited blood-test appointments and delays to operations.
Discharge: Discharge was often described as disorganised, with poor communication between wards, discharge lounges and families. Delays to medication, transport, food and water, and insufficient support at home were recurring concerns.
Support for additional needs: Older people, people living with dementia, learning disabilities or autism, and carers reported barriers to receiving timely, appropriate support. This included anxiety during long waits, limited help at mealtimes and inadequate reasonable adjustments.
Navigation and environment: Some patients found hospital signage confusing after departmental moves. Concerns were also raised about transport, parking costs, digital exclusion, and cleanliness at Wexham Park, particularly in toilets.

How the feedback is being used

Healthwatch East Berkshire shared positive feedback with teams and regularly attended the Frimley ICS Patient Experience Forum and System Quality Group, sharing patient feedback in real time, including issues raised.

This report shows that excellent care is widely recognised, but more consistent communication, accessible support and coordinated discharge planning are essential to improve the experience for patients and carers