‘You Said – We Did’ February 2025

Our activity in February 2025 included:

You Said

We spoke to an individual being detained under the Mental Health Act who wanted to appeal against the decision but needed support to do this.

We did

We explained the role of an Independent Mental Health Advocate (IMHA) and with their permission completed a referral to POhWER who provide these services in East Sussex, on their behalf, so they could receive advice and support.

You Said

We heard from the carer of someone who receives a continuing healthcare package, concerned the care package had been altered and funding refused without explanation.

We did

We shared details of Beacon, an organisation offering information,  advice and support to people accessing continuing healthcare. We also raised the issue with the All Age Continuing Healthcare management team.

You Said

We heard from a resident of a nursing home who felt they had been subject to abusive behaviour by staff and wanted to know what steps they could take to raise this.

We did

We shared details of how to raise a safeguarding concern with ESCC, and reported the incident to Health and Social Care Connect at East Sussex County Council who deal with safeguarding concerns.

You Said

We spoke to an individual who had been unable to book an appointment for their baby with their GP despite trying for a month. They were concerned for their child’s health.

We did

We provided advice to use NHS 111 service or local Urgent Treatment Centres if they had any immediate concerns for their child’s health or wellbeing. We also fed their experiences back to NHS Sussex.

Our Contributions and interventions

• In February we visited Hastings Foodbank to tell staff and volunteers about our Information and Signposting service and share key information to help access to health and care services. We also offered an Information and Signposting drop-in session for their clients and will continue our outreach at foodbanks across East Sussex throughout 2025.

• Members of the public told us that they were unsure of how to access breast cancer screenings. We conducted an online poll asking people about their experiences of breast screening which we shared with the Quality and Improvement Manager for breast screening services in Sussex. We also met with them to highlight concerns over accessibility, and to clarify the eligibility criteria and process by which people are invited to undertake a screening appointment.

• We were contacted by someone visiting the UK who received emergency surgery and subsequently received a charge from a NHS hospital trust, despite paying an Immigration Health Surcharge when obtaining their VISA which meant they were exempt from paying NHS charges for overseas visitors. We provided contact details for the trusts Overseas Visiting Manager so they could contest the charge.
• Our staff members attended several key meetings around the local development of Integrated Community Teams (ICT) in Eastbourne Borough, Rother District and Lewes District, ensuring that patient voice and experience is included in the program development. Moving forwards we will continue to contribute to all five of the Integrated Teams in the county.

Tell us your experiences of local health and care services

We always want to hear the experiences of local people when they use health and care services.

You can share your experience by leaving a review on our Feedback Centre at any time and tell us how things were for you. What was good and what could be improved?

You can also share your experience or seek further support with health and care enquiries from our Information & Signposting service via:

Email: Enquiries@healthwatcheastsussex.co.uk

Telephone: 0333 101 4007 Monday – Friday (10am-2pm)