‘You Said – We Did’ September 2024

Our activity in September 2024

You Said:

We heard from an enquirer with a disability who experiences severe distress when visiting their GP surgery due to its lack of physical accessibility.

We Did:

We contacted NHS Sussex to share these concerns and see if there is anything that can be done to support improved accessibility at their GP practice, or if they can register at or transfer to a more accessible practice.

You Did:

We were contacted by an individual facing challenges in their life, caring for a loved one with dementia, who is struggling to cope and feels overwhelmed.

We Said:

We discussed with the enquirer the statutory and voluntary support services they may find helpful. We explained the self-referral pathway for ‘Health in Mind’ who offer support for those experiencing emotional or psychological difficulties.

You Did:

We heard from a person whose arthritis meant they were struggling with household chores and mobility, including getting in and out of the bath. They asked if help is available?

We Said:

We told the enquirer about Adult Social Care services and that support may be available via home adaptations and equipment. We provided details for Health and Social Care Connect as the first step would be an assessment.

You Said:

We heard from an enquirer who had been deregistered from their GP practice whilst temporarily registered at another practice during a short stay in a nursing home.

We Did:

We provided contact details of the NHS Sussex GP Allocations Team so they could raise the issue and explore a solution. We also shared Care Quality Commission details so they could leave feedback on the care home.

Our Contributions and Interventions

• We received notice of an application to close the pharmacy sited at a community hospital in East Sussex. We raised concerns about how the proposed closure may negatively impact access to medication and prescriptions for patients of the community hospital, minor injury unit, and adjacent GP surgery. We sought assurances an Equality Health Impact Assessment would be undertaken, and patients, the public and local health services would be consulted on the proposals.
• We raised concerns with NHS Sussex about provision of the Management of Transgender, non-Binary and Intersex Service after receiving feedback it was challenging to access, and patients weren’t clear on the process, including what to do if their own GP practice didn’t deliver it. We’ve requested more accessible and improved information for patients and the public on this service.
• We were contacted by a Town Council exploring options for the re-location of its GP practice in response to population pressures and accessibility issues at its current site. We provided suggestions to support informed decision-making, including: engaging the practice and NHS Sussex to identify their requirements, discussions with local stakeholders to explain the rationale for change, and called for robust public engagement on proposals in advance of changes being made.
• We engaged with South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) to review the use of Frequent Caller Plans and what these mean for patients. We reviewed how people are put on/taken off a plan, how they are informed, what it means for them. We recommended stronger links with other health services to address the causes of their calls and identified potential changes to make messaging simpler.

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)