The Manager of Healthwatch Dorset introduced the item and gave an
overview of the projects undertaken over the last year.
- Local interviews were undertaken with
people using accident and emergency (A&E) services at Poole hospital.
The report had been completed and was to be published in one week’s time.
- 147 service users had been surveyed by the
Healthwatch Dorset volunteers. Of these people, the overwhelming majority
gave positive feedback of the A&E service based on their experience.
- Recommendations were made following
compilation of the survey data. These recommendations included: improved
signage at A&E and improved information, support given to people
waiting in A&E and support and aftercare following discharge from
A&E. Healthwatch would continue to work with Poole hospital to
implement the recommendations from their report.
- Healthwatch had also surveyed dental
practices across both BCP and Dorset, primarily to see if any practices
were taking on new NHS patients. Out of the 97 dental practices that
responded only 2 said they were accepting new patients (one in BCP and one
in Swanage). There were another 25 dental
practices yet to be surveyed.
- Healthwatch would be able to share this
data to Committee once it goes to the regional meetings in
the near future.
- Healthwatch Dorset would soon publish
their report on homelessness; scheduled for publication in the coming
weeks. This report included work conducted alongside the Care Quality Commission
on the ways they contact people from different communities. This report
included findings from the Dentaid charity for
homeless people.
- Work on the Think Big Project had –
hospital pop up clinic based at the Dolphin Centre in Poole that was
planned to open in the following links.
- Healthwatch had conducted their Vaccine
survey, receiving 900 responses. The data was currently being analysed and would be fed back to the Committee at a later date.
Members of Healthwatch Dorset’s Young Listeners’ Group gave a
presentation on their Young Listener’s Project. The main points were as
follows:
- The Young Listeners’ Group was made up of
a variety of 16-23 year olds
across BCP and Dorset.
- A lot of info had been gathered throughout
the project, but the initial finding from the current data and surveys was
that young people generally do not feel listened to. This was evident in
the Your Mind Your Say project findings.
- Of those that individuals that the Young
Listener’s Project engaged with, 39 identified as female, 29 identified as
male and 2 identified as non-binary. 19 respondents were residents of Bournemouth,
3 were residents of Christchurch, 9 were residents of Poole and 39 were
residents of Dorset.
- 86% of respondents were White British.
- 40% of respondents considered themselves to
have learning disabilities/difficulty.
- 38% of respondents considered themselves
to have a mental health condition.
- 95% of young people felt that health services
needed overall improvement.
- Communication was seen
as one of the areas identified for real improvement; with one main
issue being that services were not joined up enough.
- 51% of young people saw their requisite
health services communicate with school but 70% found this communication
to be unhelpful.
- Trust was highlighted as another factor
that impacted on young people’s access and experiences with health
services.
- Many young people found that they had to
repeat their stories to multiple service providers.
- Members acknowledged how young people felt
frustrated and annoyed by the experiences. Frustration was the key word
young people gave on their service experience and 92% had to repeat
themselves to multiple services.
- The transition between child and adult
services was rated as very low, poorly planned and disjointed by the one
person who gave feedback on this specific service.
- Young people felt that there were numerous
assessments that had to take place just to keep some consistency in their
services they received.
- Young people felt that there was not a person-centred approach and that services were impersonal and
inflexible. Furthermore, services were not personalized/designed well
enough for their own, specific needs.
The Young Listener’s, having assessed the feedback gathered from thei project, gave the following recommendations:
1) Improve communication between services to avoid needless repetition
and poor comms experienced by so many young people.
2) Listen! Don’t make empty promises, summarise
points from every meeting and communicate with the school to keep them up to
date.
3) Personalise services (and speak to the
young person rather than their parent).
4) Listen! Don’t ignore me or dismiss what I say.
5) Language – use simple, clear and concise
language that everyone can understand, when talking to us and the information
you share to be readable and understandable.
6) Information – make info available and accessible for all.
7) Listen! Re-emphasised.
8) Training – hire service providers who can relate to what young people
are going through.
9) Funding/waiting times – more funding needs to be available so
services can expand and reduce waiting times. Give longer appointments.
Overall, 70 young people were spoken to by the young listeners. The aim
was to publish the report in October and to also share the findings with Dorset
children’s services.
The Committee asked several questions
following the presentation. Answers were provided by the Director of
Commissioning for People. The questions and responses were:
- The Director of Primary and Community
Care at NHS Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group explained to the Committee
that there were common themes from what the Young Listener’s had found
and from how health professionals feel. Healthcare professionals find it
hard to navigate the health offer and understand the young person’s needs.
Members heard that there are a range of services other than CAHMS, and it
was necessary to ensure that young people were directed to and seen at the
right place on the first time of asking. There is a need to recognise across the entire NHS that too much is
focused around diagnoses rather than what the
individual’s immediate needs are.
- A member asked the Young Listener’s Group for
examples of communication that young people would prefer. The Engagement
Officer explained that in the full report there is more detail on this subject,
however the feedback showed that young people wanted was more readily
accessible information on seeable advertisements or posters rather than a
number to call. Communication could also be done and/or improved within
schools.
It was agreed that once the full Young Listener’s Project report had
been published, along with the dentistry findings, that this would be
circulated to members. Furthermore, the Chair and the Committee requested that
an update be given on the implementation of the Young Listener’s Project
recommendations in a year’s time.
RESOLVED that the
Committee noted the report.
Voting:
Unanimous.