Access
The most common issue raised by people was access to services. Some examples were due to the pandemic and services that were paused during that time, now with long waiting times to catch up. However, it was clear that people felt there were issues before the pandemic. We heard that it could be confusing to work out where to get the care you need and that our departments were not “joined up”. This means people sometimes having to go to many different appointments when one would have done. There were concerns this could mean a diagnosis being delayed or missed.
Digital
We heard lots about digital systems – both good and bad. There were examples of where video appointments had been a lifeline, with some preferring it to telephone or face to face. Many people welcomed being able to book and change vaccination appointments online. However, we also heard some people felt left out because they didn’t have access to a digital system or didn’t feel confident using it. The clear message was that people wanted choice, and digital is just one option. They wanted to ensure that access is the same whatever option they use.
Holistic
Many of our pathways are organised around one specialty or service. You told us this often meant that people felt like just a body part and no-one spent time seeing the whole picture. A “holistic” approach means discussing all parts of health and wellbeing, focussing on what matters to that person at that time.
We heard it often feels like our health and care system is disjointed and services don’t always have all the information, with you having to explain several times over. You shared many suggestions of
working better across the system to break down the boundaries that get in the way of a holistic approach.
Prevention
Lots of you commented that the earlier a problem is identified, the easier it can be to deal with. However, people did not always feel they had the right information in an easy format to allow them to keep themselves well, prevent ill health or deal with minor problems on their own. People also told us we missed chances to give advice on staying well generally and we received suggestions of how we could make this part of all of our pathways.
Along with our responsibilities as an NHS Board, this led us to the three priorities of: