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Healthwatch Northumberland mid-year report July to December 2023

Mid-year trends in feedback Jul-Dec 2023

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Between July and December 2023, we received detailed feedback from 422 individuals from talking to people at face-to-face events, telephone calls, emails, our website, social media, and other sources. This is significantly more than the previous six months (where we heard from 226 individuals between January and June 2023). We signposted 59 people to different organisations for further support. This is down slightly from the 61 people we signposted between January and June 2023. Our social media content had a reach of 77,000 and over 7000 engagements, and our website had 16,000 views.

The feedback we have had in the past six months has mainly been around four services.

1. GP services: 30% of all feedback received in July to December 2023 was to do with GP services. Accessing GPs and arranging appointments were the main issues being raised, with concerns about the quality of care being provided another common theme. However, approximately one in five comments we received about GP services were positive.

2. Pharmacies: 14% of all feedback received was to do with pharmacies, with over half of the comments being positive feedback about Allendale Pharmacy. This was in response to our online campaign in the autumn urging people to tell us about their pharmacy. The biggest concern, featuring in one in five comments, was around receiving incomplete prescriptions and supply issues at pharmacies.

3. Hospitals (unspecified department): Just over 10% of all feedback received in July to December 2023 was about hospitals in general. Just under half of this feedback was positive about the quality of care and the ‘brilliant staff’. The biggest concerns raised were about access, with a roughly equal split between long waiting lists and the distance patients needed to travel to attend appointments. These two issues combined featured in one in five negative feedback comments.

4. Dentists: Dentists made up 7% of the overall feedback we received. Unsurprisingly, getting an appointment with an NHS dentist was the predominant concern, with approximately three quarters of the feedback we received being about this issue. Unlike the feedback on the previous three categories, the sentiments expressed were overwhelmingly negative, with less than one in 25 of the comments we received about dentists being positive.

Read more in our mid-year report for July to December 2023.

Healthwatch Northumberland mid-year trends January to June 2024

Mid-year trends in feedback Jan-Jun 2023

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Between January and June 2023, we received detailed feedback from 226 individuals from talking to people at face-to-face events, telephone calls, emails, our website, social media and other sources. We also heard from an additional 705 young people in specific pieces of work including our ‘How are you feeling?’ young people’s campaign and the Autistic Young People and Mental Health Services project. We also heard from another 230 people of all ages when we spoke to people about the closure of Lloyds pharmacy in Manor Walks, Cramlington.
The feedback we have had over the past six months has been mainly around three services:1. GP Services -Accessing GPs and arranging appointments were the main areas we heard about, although issues around prescriptions also featured strongly (27% of all feedback received from January to June 2023).

2. Hospitals – Dissatisfaction with the service at hospitals – both inpatients and outpatients (16% of all feedback received in January to June 2023).

3. Dentists – Accessing NHS dentists (14% of all feedback received during January to June 2023).

Read more in our mid-year report for January to June 2023.

 

health and social care feedback 2022

Mid-year trends report Jul-Dec 2022

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Our mid-year report looks at the trends in who we heard from over the last six months, and what we heard about services. We are a listening organisation and act on what people are saying, sharing their views with those who have the power to make change happen. We also help people find the information they need about local services in their area through our Signposting and Information Service.

Between July and December 2022, we received feedback from 368 individuals from talking to people at face-to-face engagement events, telephone calls, emails, our website and our social media pages.

The feedback we have had in the past six months has been around two big issues:

1. Accessing GPs and arranging appointments – 29% of all feedback received.

2. Accessing NHS dentists – 20% of all feedback received.

Read more in our mid-year report for July to December 2022

 

 

health and social care feedback Northumberland December 2022

Health and care feedback Dec 2022

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Health and social care feedback December 2022

Thank you for continuing to tell us about your views and experiences on NHS and social care services last month. What we hear helps us build a picture of what is working well and where there are issues in NHS and social care services, and is passed to those providing services to help with decisions about local care.

Below is our ‘at a glance’ report for December 2022, which gives an overview of the main issues we heard about during the month and some examples of feedback.

Healthwatch Northumberland feedback report December 2022

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What you told us: October 2022

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Thank you to everyone who gave us feedback on NHS and social care services last month.

Below is our ‘at a glance’ report for October 2022, which gives an overview of who we have been hearing from and what they told us. What we hear from people living and working in Northumberland helps us build a picture of what is working well and where there are issues in NHS and social care services.

Often, we can get a quick response to your enquiry or signpost you to the right service.

Some issues are already being looked at by other organisations and we pass on your comments and concerns to them so that they have as much feedback as possible from those using services, to help them make decisions and improvements to services.

There are some issues that we look into in more detail and set aside time and resources to investigate further and put together recommendations for change.

Read more about our work.

Healthwatch Northumberland feedback report October 2022

What you told us: July 2022

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Our ‘at a glance’ monthly reports provide a summary of who we have been hearing from and what you have told us. What you tell us helps us build a picture of what is working well and where there are issues in the NHS and social care services we use here in Northumberland. In many cases, we can get a quick response to your enquiries.

Some issues are already being looked at by other organisations and we pass on your comments and concerns to them so that they have as much feedback as possible from those using services.

There are some issues that we look into in more detail and set aside time and resources to investigate further and put together recommendations for change.

Healthwatch Northumberland feedback report July 2022

 

 

 

Young People and Mental Health

Young people and mental health

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Healthwatch Northumberland is the independent champion for people who use health and social care services. We are a listening organisation working across Northumberland, interested in what people like about services and what can be improved. We act on what people are saying, sharing their views with those who have the power to make change happen. We also help people find the information they need about services in their area and record this as ‘signposting’.

Between January and March 2021 we ran an online survey to gauge the access and support received by young people (aged between 13 – 25 years) from mental health services in Northumberland.

We promoted the survey through our own social media channels and website as well as contacting all secondary and high schools in Northumberland. We also contacted all the local youth groups across the county and other relevant partners such as Northumberland CVA, the Aging Well Network and town and parish councils. The survey had 51 responses. Read our findings at the link below:

Young People and Mental Health: Experiences of access and support in Northumberland

Find mental health services and support

Healthwatch Northumberland Feedback Report April to June 2021

What you told us: April to June 2021

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Healthwatch Northumberland Feedback Report April to June 2021

Between April and June 2021, we received feedback from 63 individuals from talking to people at face-to-face engagement events, telephone calls, emails, our website, social media, and other sources. We signposted 20 of these people to services.

This quarter we received feedback and enquiries from:

  • Telephone calls (42%)
  • Emails (23%)
  • Website (19%)
  • Social media (12%)
  • Engagement event (5%)

Each quarter we look at who we are hearing from across the county, including 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, for example whether that’s primary care (doctors, dentists, pharmacies), secondary care (hospital services), mental health or social care, as well as whether the feedback relates specifically to quality of the care or access to services.

Find out more about who we heard from and what we were told, below.

Feedback Report April – June 2021

Hospital discharge during COVID-19

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A new report from Healthwatch England and the British Red Cross looks at how well the new hospital discharge policy is working for patients, carers and healthcare professionals.

In March 2020, the Government introduced a new hospital discharge policy to help the NHS free up beds by getting people out of hospital quickly. This meant anyone who may need out-of-hospital support to help them recover would now have their needs assessed after being discharged, rather than in hospital.

The report shows significant numbers of people are not receiving follow-up support after being discharged from hospital under new policy, leading to unmet needs. Read a summary of the report below.

What did people tell us?

Overall patients and families were very positive about healthcare staff, praising their efforts during such a difficult time.

However, while the speed at which people were discharged from hospital was important, it often led to a lack of support for some patients leaving hospital.

Key findings

  • 82% of respondents did not receive a follow-up visit and assessment at home and almost one in five of these reported an unmet care need.
  • Some people felt their discharge was rushed, with around one in five (19%) feeling unprepared to leave hospital.
  • Over a third (35%) of people were not given a contact who they could get in touch with for further advice after discharge, despite this being part of the guidance.
  • Overall patients and families were very positive about healthcare staff, praising their efforts during such a difficult time.
  • Around a third (30%) of people faced an issue with delayed COVID-19 test results, potentially putting family and carers at risk, or in a care home, other residents and staff.

What are we calling for?

To improve hospital discharge for patients, their carers and healthcare professionals, ahead of winter and a second wave of COVID-19 admissions, we’re calling on the health and care sector to:

  • Roll out post-discharge check-ins by phone or in person
  • Develop a discharge checklist, including questions about transport and equipment needs
  • Improve communication by assigning a single point of contact for patients and carers
  • Link patients to voluntary sector partners or community pharmacists to deliver medicine and avoid delays.
  • Boost community care capacity and recognise the value of voluntary care sector in hospital discharge.

Read 590 people’s stories of leaving hospital during COVID-19 

 

Knowledge gap restricts mental health support to the vulnerable

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Last year we launched the Your Voice Fund, and awarded four small grants to local organisations to run projects with their service users.

These projects are helping us to gather the views of people whose experiences we don’t hear enough about, in particular, people with learning disabilities, people from LGBTQ+ communities, young people, black, asian and minority ethnic communities and people living in Northumberland through asylum or refugee resettlement programmes.

Being Woman, based in Ashington and Blyth, have been using the grant to support a conversation café activity called ‘KITES – when you are your own voice’. People from various ethnic backgrounds and at risk of social isolation have been sharing their ideas, thoughts and experiences of health and social care services.

The latest report from Being Woman shows that there is a knowledge gap restricting mental health support to the most vulnerable people in Northumberland.

A total of 61 people from BAME groups including asylum seekers and refugees were surveyed with questions around general mental health knowledge, services used and proposed future needs. 8 out of 10 people said they didn’t know they could speak with their GP about anxiety, low mood and depression.

Among the suggestions listed by respondents for better knowledge on mental health were leaflets, support groups, translation services, clubs and therapists.

Read the full report here

If you would like to tell us about your recent experience of mental health services give us a call on 03332 408 468 or tell us your story here.