Because We All Care

‘Because We All Care’ – tell us what you think about services

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Healthwatch England has launched #BecauseWeAllCare with the Care Quality Commission to help improve care by encouraging everyone to share their experiences of health and social care services.

Public feedback helps spot what is working well and what could be better. With services working to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and deal with a backlog of care, people’s views have never been more important.

New research from the Care Quality Commission highlights the impact lockdown measures have had on the wellbeing of people who use care services:

  • Nearly three-quarters of carers (73%) say that the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions have impacted on the mental health of the person they care for.
  • Over half (56%) of carers say that the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions have impacted on the dignity and independence of the person they care for.

The research also found that throughout the pandemic, care was most commonly impacted by:

  • Increased waiting times for appointments and procedures (49%)
  • A lack of resources and equipment (24%)

With just 17% of people in England expecting services to improve in the next 12 months, we are calling for you to feedback on the services you use as a crucial way to improve their quality.

Sir Robert Francis QC, Chair of Healthwatch England, said:

“Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, public feedback has played an important part in helping the NHS and social care services spot and respond to issues caused by the virus.

“As we continue to live with the pandemic, the NHS continues to face huge pressures across the whole system. NHS staff are grappling with many difficulties, including increased COVID demands, while trying to tackle the backlog in elective care and diagnostics that the pandemic had made so much worse.

“It is important that this is managed as well as possible, to make sure that the risks and distress to patients are minimised. That’s why it is vital people have the opportunity to share their views and experiences of care whether they have needed treatment for COVID-19 or other illnesses. Their feedback will help services understand both key national and local issues and the steps they can take to serve patients better.”

So, if you’ve recently used a GP, dentist, hospital or other care service, let us know your experience and help improve care for everyone.

Share your story

Rothbury home care

New scheme for NHS care in Rothbury

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Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is developing a new flexible care service for patients in Rothbury that will see community treatment, NHS beds and much needed residential care for people in the area.

The trust has created a new strategic partnership with a third-party care provider People First Care which will allow the NHS to deliver a flexible number of beds to meet the needs of patients in Rothbury, while continuing to provide extra support for people’s health and care needs in their own home.

As part of the scheme Northumbria will commit to taking NHS beds within this facility – with numbers moving up and down flexibly to meet patient needs – which aligns with initial work in other parts of Northumberland and North Tyneside.

Under the plans People First Care will operate a 12-15 bed unit for people needing respite care, rehabilitation services, longer-term recuperation or end of life care. This facility will be supported by a wider team of district nurses, GPs and nurse practitioners.

Northumbria Chief Executive Sir James Mackey said “This is a really exciting development and I’m pleased that we’re able to announce these plans after so much hard work. The last two years have been incredibly challenging for all health and care services but it’s very rewarding to see the end result.

“The trust has been working incredibly hard to develop our ambition for hospital care in Rothbury but like every organisation in the health and care sector our focus for the past two years has been on managing the covid19 pandemic. While much work has already been done this has disrupted some of our planning but also taught us valuable lessons on the flexibility we need to cope with future challenges.

“We believe this model not only delivers the right level of NHS care, but also adds much-needed additional residential care home beds for the community. We’re confident that this unique and innovative approach can be a real success in Rothbury and we are committed to making it work.

“We know that much more NHS care should be delivered to people in their own homes where they are most comfortable and better able to recover. In the covid-era we’re also aware of the benefits of reducing the risks of spreading infections and creating unnecessary contacts for vulnerable, older patients.

“Our priority at all times has been to offer the best care to everyone in the area and it’s increasingly apparent that a flexible approach to beds, staffing and patient care is the best solution.

“Our focus is not on the number of hospital beds but how best to deliver care effectively and safely in community settings. The Trust already has a very strong community team supporting people right across the county.”

Cllr Steven Bridgett, County Councillor for Rothbury says “We have been waiting for a sustainable health and care bed solution for Rothbury for some years and I am pleased that the model outlined to me today is progressing with a view that this will be opened in the Spring.

“I have been in regular contact with the Trust and feel that they have listened to the concerns of the residents of Rothbury & Coquetdale and developed a solution that not only deals with the need for flexible healthcare beds but also adds to this a wider care solution that has been missing from this community for some years. Our focus is now on delivering this.”

Katie Scott, Coordinator of the Save Rothbury Community Hospital Campaign Team, said “Since the closure of the ward, we have fought for an integrated facility with GP surgery, step-up, step-down, end-of-life, and respite beds. In April 2017 we produced our ‘Coquetdale Cares – the Community’s Vision’. We have worked tirelessly to keep the health needs of our community in the minds of the NHS. The proposal that we have seen today looks like it is our vision, but with ‘a cherry on the top’!

“The team are delighted that residential care is at last coming to our community. We welcome the proposal and hope that the new facilities will be available very soon. We would also like to thank the community for the continuing dialogue, which has enabled us to report regularly to the NHS on real suffering and real need. Our only regret is that so many people, including Maurice Cole, a key member of the Campaign Team, did not live to benefit from the proposed new facilities at Rothbury Community Hospital.”

It is hoped the new model will be up and running by spring/summer 2022 and Northumbria will work with Northumberland Clinical Commissioning Group to finalise the proposal as soon as possible to ensure there is minimal delay in getting the service up and running.

Care home visiting

Care home forum

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We are holding another public online forum via Zoom for anyone who would like to share their recent experiences of visiting loved ones in care homes.

The forum will take place on Monday 7 February, from 10am to 11.30am.

At our previous forums we have heard how visiting restrictions in care homes have affected people living there and their relatives, people’s experiences of other ways of keeping in touch during Covid-19 and discussed things ‘we wish we had known’ when our loved ones moved into care homes to help us produce some future guidance to support others going through similar experiences.

Those who attended the previous forums said that it helped to give them a voice and it was helpful to meet with other people in a similar situation. It was agreed that the group would continue to meet once every three months to discuss any issues or concerns. The minutes from the last meeting can be found below.

Minutes from care home forum – 8 November 2021

We would like to hear from you about your recent experiences of visiting your loved ones in care homes in Northumberland, how you have kept in touch during any Covid-19 outbreaks and your experiences of visiting as an ‘essential care giver’.

We would also like to explore further ideas to shape our guidance to support others whose loved ones may be moving or have recently moved to a care home.

If you would like to register for our forum please contact Helen Brown by email: helenb@healthwatchnorthumberland.co.uk or call us on 03332 408468 (option 3). Once registered, we will send you the Zoom link before the event.

If you can’t make the forum but would like to tell us your story, or would rather speak to one of our team in confidence please get in touch.

Dentistry

Dentistry myth busting

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Healthwatch teams across the North East have seen a significant increase in concerns around patients getting to see their local dentist. This is also a big problem across the rest of the country.

These concerns have been made worse by some common myths and misunderstandings around how dentist practices work. Here, we take a look at some of those myths.

1. ‘Registering’ at a practice

‘I saw my dentist a few years ago and now they say they can’t see me on the NHS. Aren’t I registered?’

Dental practices are set up within the NHS in a completely different way to GP practices so there is no formal patient registration within dentistry.

A patient is only ‘registered’ with a practice while undergoing treatment. So, you are free to approach any NHS dentist for treatment at any time.

2. They only want to work with private patients

‘My dentist said they could not see me on the NHS but offered me a private consultation.’

There is no formal patient registration within dentistry – NHS dental practices are commissioned to deliver a number of Units of Dental Activity (UDA) which they spread out over the year.

The number of UDAs used per day will depend on the treatment needs of the patients who contact the practice, for example, simple treatments like fillings and extractions equate to 3 UDAs, more complex treatment like crowns and bridges: 12 UDAs.

Whilst NHS provision must be available across the practice’s contracted opening hours, demand for NHS treatment may be so great that on any given day, depending on demand and the treatment needs of the patients who contact them, they could have used up all their NHS appointments when a patient rings.

They may, therefore, offer a private option to patients as an alternative, as they will have separate NHS and private appointment books, with separate clinical staff time allocated accordingly.

In line with national guidance all dental practices are required to prioritise patients based on clinical need and urgency into their available NHS appointments – this is called Triage. It is therefore important when you contact the practice that you fully explain the nature of your dental problem so that a clinical assessment can be undertaken to determine how quickly you need to be seen.

3. They are not doing routine work such as check-ups or scale and polish on the NHS

‘It’s impossible to get a routine check-up despite the fact I’ve not had one for over a year.’

All practices are currently working to national standard operating procedures which means that they have to prioritise patients based on clinical need and urgency. Therefore, their ability to take on patients for routine treatment such as check-ups is likely to be limited with the reduced capacity they are able to deliver, because of infection prevention control guidance.

However, if you have healthy teeth and gums, a routine check-up may not be needed for up to two years between appointments.

4. They are not doing emergency appointments.

‘I broke my tooth, but my dentist wouldn’t take me as an emergency appointment to fix it.’

Lost fillings, crowns or bridges, broken teeth or braces are not usually deemed to be clinically urgent, which means you may need to wait a little longer for an appointment.

Access to NHS urgent dental appointments is based on an individual clinical assessment of need. It is therefore important that you fully explain the nature of your dental problem to the practice or NHS 111 when you call, so they can correctly triage you.

 

Download the Dentistry Myth Busters PDF

If you have any further concerns about a dental service in your area, please visit the dental section of the NHS website where you can find further advice and an official complaints procedure.

Northumberland Advice Survey

Have your say on advice services

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The Public Health Team at Northumberland County Council is interested to know what the people of Northumberland want and need from advice services. It wants to understand what is working well and what needs to change in its Northumberland Advice Survey.
What are advice services?
In Northumberland there are a number of different charities and organisations that give advice to residents. The survey is interested in advice given about Benefits (eligibility, claims, sanctions and appeals) and Debt Management, plus a range of other areas including: welfare, work, housing, family, law and courts, immigration, healthcare, consumer rights, pension guidance and witness support.
Why is the council doing this survey?
Good advice matters, but what people need and the way that they access it may vary.
The Public Health Team want to know what you think is important, so that future services are what you want andwill use. They are interested in your views even if you have never used advice services. This information will be used by the Public Health Team in Northumberland County Council to try and ensure that they are meeting the needs of all residents.
Leave your thoughts and experiences of finding advice – including our signposting and information service here at Healthwatch Northumberland – by the end of January and help shape local services

Help develop NHS Northumbria website

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Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is redeveloping its website and would like to invite you to get involved and offer your feedback.

An ‘end user focus group’ is being held at 11.00am on 11 January via Teams, so you can dial in from the comfort of your own home.

The session will be led by the website developers and the discussion will be based around designs and navigation, to gain a better understanding of user experience and how information should be prioritised.

If you are interested in taking part please contact laura.keen2@northumbria-healthcare.nhs.uk.

CNTW autism

Is CNTW NHS Trust Autistic Friendly?

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Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust provides a range of mental health, learning disability and neurological care services across the north of England.

The Trust wants to know if it is an autistic friendly organisation.

A questionnaire has been developed by staff and service users with the help of autistic people.

This questionnaire let’s you to give their thoughts as to whether the Trust is an autistic friendly organisation and what you think works well or what could be better.

Anyone can complete the questionnaire.

Please leave your views by 31 December 2021.

If you would like help to complete the questionnaire, please contact the Patient and Carer Involvement Service at:
Involvement@cntw.nhs.uk.

 

Tell us your experience of any NHS or social care service you have used recently

why are GP services different

Why are GP practices working differently?

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The NHS has given the following information and guidance about what to expect from your GP practice.

In order to keep staff and visitors safe during the Covid-19 pandemic, GP practices have had to adapt how they work. Like the rest of the health service, practices have made use of technology by introducing additional telephone and video appointments.

As the Covid-19 pandemic is still ongoing, practices are continuing to keep robust infection prevention measures in place, and telephone triage continues to be the first point of contact. However, face-to-face appointments are being offered and you can still visit in person should you need to.

If you need to you visit your GP practice, your temperature may be taken on arrival and you will also need to sanitise your hands. We would appreciate your co-operation in ensuring you observe social distancing while in your GP surgery. There is clear signage to help guide you and chairs in the waiting room are positioned apart from each other. You should wear a face covering (unless exempt) if you need to attend the surgery in person.

Please be mindful that at times, workforces may be affected by Covid-19, so teams may be smaller than usual. Whilst we appreciate that this can be a frustrating and unsettling time, please rest assured that practices are doing all they can to manage patient needs during a time of increased demand. Thank you for your patience.

Although it remains a challenging time for all NHS services, you should not put off getting the care you need. Your GP practice is open and is here for you and your family.

How you can access support

There are a number of ways to get the help you need in a way that suits your needs.

  • Go online to nhs.uk or call NHS 111
  • e-consult service on your practice’s website and get a reply within two working days. You can also request medication, sick notes and bloods results through this service
  • Call your practice to discuss the most appropriate appointment
  • Visit your GP practice website and complete a confidential online form
  • Download the NHS App to order repeat prescriptions, book appointments or check your symptoms
  • For life-threatening emergencies, please call 999 or go straight to A&E

For healthcare needs regarding children, urgent problems or for those patients who are unable to access our online services, we ask that you telephone your practice and your call will be answered as soon as possible.

What to expect when you contact your GP practice

Practice reception teams will conduct an initial assessment over the phone to make sure that those with the greatest need are seen first. The receptionist will ask you some questions so that they can get you the right care, in the right way, by the right professional. This may not necessarily be a GP.

They will consider:

  • Who is best to help you.
  • What type of appointment best suits your needs.
  • Whether help from another health service is more appropriate. For example, a pharmacy or urgent treatment centre.

Practice reception teams and are trained to know about the care and services available to you.

  • They will know whether self-referral is available for certain services.
  • They can make appointments for your care.
  • They can direct you to new services you may not be aware of.

They are skilled in assisting with triage and treat all information in confidence. All staff operate according to strict guidelines and work under clinical supervision. You can trust them to treat all information confidentially. They are a vital part of your practice team. Please treat them with respect. Any form of abuse towards staff will not be tolerated.

Who might you see at your GP practice?

GPs work as part of large multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) who all support the physical, psychological, emotional, social, spiritual, cultural and economic aspects of a person’s care. Although these will vary depending on your practice, some professionals you may see at your practice include:

  • GP: a highly skilled doctor who support patients throughout their lives.
  • GP registrar: a qualified doctor who is training to become a GP.
  • Locum/sessional doctor: a fully qualified GP who works at the practice on a temporary basis.
  • Practice nurse: a qualified and registered nurse who can help with health issues such as family planning, healthy living advice, blood pressure checks and dressings.
  • Nurse practitioners: a trained specialist nurse who has undertaken additional medical education in order to provide advanced nursing care and to prescribe medication. Nurse practitioners can provide treatment and advice for many problems for which you may have seen a doctor for in the past.
  • Healthcare assistant: supports the practice nurse with their daily work and helps to carry out tasks such as phlebotomy (drawing blood), blood pressure measurement and new patient checks.
  • Pharmacist: a highly qualified expert in medicines who can help carry out structured medication reviews for patients with ongoing health problems as well as a range of other treatments.
  • Mental health practitioner: a first point of contact to give patients guidance, advice and treatment for mental health symptoms such as low mood, anxiety and depression.
  • Health visitor: a registered nurse who has received training particularly related to babies, children and pregnant women.
  • Podiatrist: treats abnormal conditions of the feet and lower limbs.
  • Social prescribing link worker: connects people with local community activities and services that can help improve their health and wellbeing.
  • Practice managers: manage the business aspect of the practice.
  • Receptionists and administration staff: provide an important link for patients with the practice and are your initial contact point for general enquiries.
What else do GPs do?

GP services remain very busy, providing more appointments than ever before whilst also delivering the winter vaccination programme.

In addition to this, their work can include:

  • Reviewing and acting upon letters from hospital specialists and patients
  • Signing repeat prescriptions
  • Immunisations
  • Processing referrals
  • Medication reviews and pharmacy liaison
  • Learning Disability reviews
  • Mandatory training
  • Death certificates and coroner reports
  • End-of-life care
  • Statements of fitness for work
  • Home visiting
  • Care home ward rounds
  • Managing national and local targets
Other important information

Tell us your experiences of using GP services through the pandemic

How Are We Doing?

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NHS Dental Services

NHS dentistry services

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We know that some people have struggled to access the dental care they need during the pandemic. We want to hear about your experiences of trying to use NHS dentistry services since March 2020. Tell us what worked well for you and what could be better so we can help providers improve their services.

Due to strict infection control measures in place in dental practices, fewer appointments have been available causing a backlog of patients. We have been hearing that some people are unable to find an NHS dental practice which is taking on new patients while others aren’t sure where to go for urgent dental care.

We would like to hear about your experiences of accessing NHS dentistry since the start of the first lockdown.

The survey will run from Monday 29 November 2021 until Friday 7 January 2022. We will then combine our findings with colleagues at other local Healthwatch to build a regional picture of NHS dentistry services in the North East.

NHS Dentistry Survey

More information about finding an NHS dentist and what to do if you need urgent dental care is available on the NHS website:

How to find an NHS dentist

Get in touch with our Information and Signposting Service

 

This survey is now closed.