Your feedback: April 2025
Your NHS and social care feedback for April 2025
Top issues
In April you told us it was difficult getting an appointment for both GP services and NHS dentists. We did however, hear a lot of positive feedback about the quality of care patients received from GP services, dentists and hospitals outpatients departments.
This month’s focus
This month we have been out at our usual Here to Hear sessions as well as attending additional sessions at Hexham auction mart, a Seafit event at Amble hosted by the Fishermen’s Mission and the west locality’s dementia event organised by the Locality Coordinator.
We have started work on the Persistent Physical Symptoms project, a joint research project in partnership with Northumbria Healthcare NHS FoundationTrust, Northumbria University, and residents of Blyth, Ashington and Newbiggin-by- the-Sea.
Positive feedback example
“I was referred to musculoskeletal clinic re. lumbar pain and sciatica. Physio diagnosed prolapsed lumbar disc and referred me for a MRI scan. I explained I had claustrophobia. She chose an open scanner at a private facility using NHS funding. She was honest about the 4-6 week waiting list but my scan was allocated at week three. I am now waiting for a steroid injection in the affected disc space.
This has been a very positive experience with experienced therapists who provided quick and appropriate investigations and treatment. I have been very pleasantly surprised.”
Blyth and Ashington resident
Negative feedback example
A person told us they dislike the Anima appointment booking service used by their GP surgery, as it is only open between around 7am-7pm, when they are out at work. The system also won’t allow them to book an appointment in advance for routine care. They say there should be choice over methods to book appointments and that GPs have found systems that are more convenient to THEM but not to patients.
They think online and telephone appointments might mean GPs miss out on spotting body language and other cues suggesting someone needs additional support.
The patient has received an email to say GPs will now be triaging their appointments through Anima – they feel this is doubling up the processes. When they visit the surgery they find a lack of privacy at reception due to large screens and desks. They generally find it to be an unhelpful, unwelcoming atmosphere and feel that the service has gone downhill since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Castle Morpeth resident
Impact
A young volunteer with us who has led on a schools-based project contacted us to say he had been offered a place to study Medicine at both York and Sheffield Universities. He said “I’m almost certain that I couldn’t have secured these offers without my role in this project (the interviewers seemed to really enjoy hearing about it!), so thank you for giving me the opportunity to lead it”.
Information and Signposting Service
This month we were asked for help finding mental health support, cancer patient transport, information around Covid-19 vaccinations, and diabetes, amongst several other issues.