Volunteers’ Week 2021

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Social Care Services Northumberland

Six things to expect from social care

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Six things to expect from social care services

People have told us here at Healthwatch that they want to feel listened to and involved in decisions about their social care. Here are six things you should expect from care services, according to new guidelines.

With more than a quarter of a million people living in care homes (current estimates are around 400,000) and a further estimated 608,145 adults relying on social care support to live independently, it’s vital that people are able to get the best out of social care.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has developed guidance to help you and social care professionals understand what care people can expect and how to support you to make decisions about your own care.

What should your care look like?

NICE has set out six key things you should expect from social care services:

  1. You should be able to live your life with dignity and independence.
  2. Your care should be planned flexibly around what you want and need.
  3. You should understand what types of care are available, and the minimum care you can expect to have.
  4. You should have control over how your care is provided and paid for.
  5. The staff providing care should develop good relationships with you.
  6. Providers of social care should ask you and your family for your views, and use these to train staff and improve services.

Having a say in your care

It’s important that professionals involve you in any decisions about your care. They should give you clear information about your different options and listen to your worries.They should also:

  • Find out what matters to you and what support you need to live the life you choose.
  • Give you information to make your own decisions, never assuming that you cannot decide for yourself.
  • Involve your family and carers too, if you are happy with this
  • Help you get your views across, for example using communication aids or by providing an advocate.

Find out more about what you should expect from social care.

Did your experience of social care meet all six points?

If you or a family member has used social care, let us know whether the service met these guidelines. Please get in touch and share your ideas for how social care services could improve in your area.

Dentistry

Healthwatch Dentistry Report

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Access to NHS dental care continues to be a problem for people across England, with Healthwatch recording a 22% rise in calls and complaints about dentistry between January and March 2021.

Healthwatch England’s review of 1,375 people’s experiences found a lack of consistency across the country when it comes to accessing a dental appointment. Whilst some people were asked to wait an unreasonable time of up to three years for an NHS appointment, those able to afford private care could get an appointment within a week.

High cost of dental care

Whilst some people were charged £400 to get one tooth out, an individual reported being asked to pay over £7,000 for their dentures privately. But private treatment is not an option for everyone, with many people now struggling to pay even for NHS treatment. A poll of 2,019 adults commissioned by Healthwatch England found 61% of respondents felt that NHS dental treatments were expensive. The poll, which looked at people’s experiences of NHS dentistry during the pandemic and how it has impacted their future habits, found the following:

People’s experiences of NHS dental charges

  • Over a quarter (27%) of respondents said they either struggle to pay or avoid dental treatments altogether because they cannot afford the costs.
  • About one in three (30%) have reported they felt pressured into paying private fees to get all the dental treatment they needed. And nearly two in five (39%) reported that they had been charged extra for their NHS treatments.
  • Almost a quarter (23%) feel they will now visit the dentist only when they need treatment, despite clinical guidelines recommending regular dental check-ups to keep people’s mouths healthy.
  • Demographic groups who have been affected the most by the lack of NHS dental appointments and NHS dental fees include people on low incomes and those from ethnic minority groups – the same groups who have been worst hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Calling for equitable and affordable dental care

Reform of dentistry has been underway since 2009. Earlier this year, it was announced that NHS England would be taking over the process from the Department of Health and Social Care, but reform plans have yet to be announced.

In a recent report on the future of the NHS, the Lancet Commission stressed ‘an absence of affordability is a major barrier to dental care’ and suggested an abolition of patients’ co-payments to access and receive dental care.

We call for greater ambition and urgency from NHS dental reform plans to create more equitable and affordable dental care.

Imelda Redmond CBE, National Director of Healthwatch England, said “The twin crisis of access and affordability hitting NHS dentistry means many people are not able to access timely care – and the poorest are hardest hit. Those human stories show that oral health is a social justice and equity issue.

Reform of dental contracts needs to be a matter of urgency for this government. New arrangements should include making access to NHS dental services equal and affordable for everyone, regardless of where people live, their income and ethnicity. Failing to act now will result in long-term harm for thousands of people, putting even greater pressure on the already overstretched healthcare system.”

Income and regional disparities

Almost twice as many people from lower socio-economic groups (SEG) D and E struggle or can’t afford to pay NHS dental charges (37%) than people from the higher socio-economic group, A, (19%). As a result, people from SEG D and E are also twice as likely to avoid dental care due to affordability issues.

People living in the North East of England are the most likely to avoid NHS dental treatment due to costs (13%), compared with just one in 30 (3%) who live in the South West. Despite this, people in the North East have been charged for NHS dental treatments the most (29%), while people in the South West were charged the least (13%).

People from ethnic minority groups

Just over a quarter of people from ethnic minority communities (26%) reported they would go to the dentist for regular check-ups, compared to two in five (41%) of White people.  The survey also found that people aged over 55 from ethnic minority groups who are on low incomes were six times more likely to report avoiding dental treatments due to costs than their White counterparts.

 

If you would like to tell us your experiences of dental care over the last 12 months please get in touch.

Health and social care feedback Northumberland

Feedback Report January to March 2021

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Health and Social Care Feedback Northumberland January to March 2021

Part of our role here at Healthwatch Northumberland is to listen to people’s experiences of using NHS and social care services. This feedback is passed on to those providing and paying for services, so that they know what is working well for people living in Northumberland, and what could be better.

Our signposting and information service can help with all kinds of queries and issues, from finding a new GP or dental practice, helping people access services or raise a concern, to getting support with a particular condition.

This report shares a summary of the feedback collected from January to March 2021. During this period, we have continued to work in different ways due to the continuation of the Covid-19 pandemic. The next report will cover April – June 2021.

Between January and March 2021, we received feedback from 106 individuals from talking to people at online engagement events, telephone calls, emails, our website, social media, and other sources. We signposted 18 of these people to services.

This report looks at who we are hearing from across the county, presenting a summary of general respondent demographic information. Demographic information includes location, gender, age, and whether the respondent is sharing their own health and social care experience or speaking on behalf of a friend or relative.

We also look at the general sentiment of comments, with specific reference to the service type (e.g. primary care, secondary care, mental health, social care), as well as whether the feedback relates specifically to quality of care or access to services.

Healthwatch Northumberland Feedback Report January to March 2021

End of Life Care

End of life care – have your say

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End of life care – have your say

We’re working with NHS Northumberland Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to find out what people think matters most to patients approaching the end of their life and what makes a ‘good death’.

We’re looking at developing a ‘social contract’ between end of life care providers and patients, in terms of what they will do and what you will do to achieve both a full life and a dignified death.

To explore this further, the NHS has launched a Citizens Panel, which you can join by registering at the YourNHS online community  As part of the panel, you’ll be asked to provide feedback on a series of questions relating to end of life care and what makes a ‘good death’. The panel will run for five weeks and you will receive a £5 Amazon voucher for each piece of content you provide feedback on – that’s a total of £25 for taking part in all the content.

If you are interested in taking part in the end of life Citizens Panel, please register at the YourNHS online community where you can find more information about joining the Panel.

For more information or to tell us your experiences of care please get in touch.

This piece of work has now finished.

 

children eating school lunch

Shine a light on coeliac

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Monday 10 May 2021 sees the start of Coeliac Awareness Week, led by Coeliac UK, with the message ‘#ShineALightOnCoeliac’.

As part of this, our Engagement Officer Helen Brown, shares her experiences of Coeliac disease, since being recently diagnosed with the condition.

Helen says “I was diagnosed with coeliac disease only a few months before the start of the Covid-19 pandemic after several months of suffering gastro-intestinal symptoms. This year I am writing about my experience to play a part in raising awareness of the condition, as Coeliac UK estimates that around half a million people in the UK are living with undiagnosed coeliac disease.

“Coeliac disease is a condition where the body’s immune system attacks its own tissues when you eat gluten. This causes damage to the lining of the gut and means the body cannot properly absorb nutrients. Coeliac UK estimates that it takes an average of 13 years for diagnosis as symptoms are so wide-ranging and are similar to other conditions such as IBS. I count myself lucky that my GP was proactive in requesting blood tests; I know the outcome for others is not as positive.

“After diagnosis I was told the only treatment for the disease is to adhere to a life-long gluten free diet, but I did not realise exactly what this entailed. It is not just a case that ‘you can’t eat bread or cakes’ as a friend so delicately put it. As well as substituting breads, flours, pasta and sweet treats for gluten free counterparts (many of which do not taste that great!) gluten is an unexpected ingredient in so many foods from sauces to soups to crisps and chocolate. There is also the worry of cross-contamination when preparing food including a need for separate butters and toasters at home.

“These things, alongside the reduced enjoyment of eating out/getting takeaways – no longer having the ability to be spontaneous when choosing venues, having substandard/limited food choices, feeling anxious about possible cross-contamination, or having to explain your condition to restaurant staff you have never met – made the first several months after my diagnosis quite an unhappy time.

“As time has gone on and my symptoms have improved, managing my condition has got easier. My gastroenterologist and dietician have been great and lockdown in some ways has helped as we have had significantly more time to experiment with cooking and baking gluten free recipes at home and the choice to eat out has been vastly reduced.”

Ceoliac UK’s #ShineALightOnCoeliac campaign this year recognises the issues Helen talks about. The chance to get together with family and friends makes summer seem brighter but for many people with coeliac disease, particularly children and young people, trusting others to provide gluten free food can cause feelings of worry and exclusion.

Further information on the campaign can be found at CoeliacUK. Alongside activities and awareness raising there’s also lots of support and information for the gluten free community and an online tool to encourage diagnosis.

If you have coeliac disease and would like to share your experience of healthcare services in the diagnosis and management of your condition, please get in touch.

 

Home Care in Northumberland

Home care services project

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Home care services in Northumberland – help people to share their experience

We are looking for someone to carry out a focused project which will gather the experiences of people who receive paid for home care services in the county. The document below sets out the rationale and application process for those interested in carrying out this work.

The project fee is £5,000 and the deadline for applications is 17 May 2021. The work is to be carried out from mid-June to September 2021.

For an informal pre application discussion please contact Derry Nugent, Project Coordinator Healthwatch Northumberland, email: derryn@healthwatchnorthumberland.co.uk or call: 07590 880016.

Contract purpose and focus

In 2018/19 Healthwatch Northumberland worked with Carers Northumberland to gather the experiences of people using home care services and that of their family carers. It was led by a group of family carers in the Coquet Valley where, at the time, there were major challenges in providing home care services. Northumberland County Council Adult Social Care managers welcomed the final report and they said they would be interested to hear from people in other areas of the county. This project will gather those experiences.

The pandemic has given further reason to revisit the study. A recent national report by the National Institute for Health Research highlighted that people receiving paid for care and people who were providing unpaid care (carers) were having to make decisions about continuing with paid for care and using other services during the pandemic based on the risks involved in different people entering their homes and
lack of PPE.

Respondents to the Carers Northumberland Annual Survey also reported a reduction in home care and enabling services during the pandemic. Overall we want to know what has worked well and people would like to see happen to services in the future.

Full details: Understanding the experience of people using Home Care Services in Northumberland Project

 

 

Care home visit

Care home visits: public forum

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At our previous forums we have heard how visiting restrictions in care homes have affected people living there and their relatives. We have also heard about other ways people have been keeping in touch during Covid-19 and experiences of the changes to allow one or two designated visitors for in-person visits. We have also heard from representatives at Public Health and Northumberland County Council on the visiting guidance for care homes.

At our next forum on Friday 4 June at 10.30am we’d like to hear about your experiences now we are two months into the changes in visiting policy. We would also like to hear your feedback on preparing for you and your loved ones to have visits outside of the care home.

We will also be sharing the results of our recent online surveys for care home staff and relatives/friends of those living in care homes and looking at the next steps for this feedback moving forward.

If you would like to register for the event please contact Helen Brown at: helenb@healthwatchnorthumberland.co.uk or call us on 03332 408468.

If you cannot come along but have a question you would like an answer to, send it to us and we will ask it for you.

More on care home visiting guidance

Getting out and about

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We’re making plans to get back out in local communities as soon as it is safe to do so this summer. Our role as independent champion for people who use NHS and social care services involves listening to people from all over the county about their views and experiences of using services such as GPs, dentists, hospitals, mental health services, care homes, pharmacies and NHS 111.

We have done this in lots of ways during the pandemic but speaking directly to people in communities across Northumberland is a big part of what we do. We are now planning how we can get back on the road when government guidelines allow.

Can you tell us how you would feel about us coming along to a venue near you – outside – by answering a few questions? Your feedback will help us make decisions about we work this summer. Thank you.

 

 

Getting back on the road

Part of our role here at Healthwatch Northumberland is getting out and about to communities across the county, to hear people's views and experiences of using NHS and social care services.

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Healthwatch Northumberland walks

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