Healthwatch South Tyneside spoke to more than 300 people in visits to 21 groups/drop-ins, asking for feedback on recent experiences of health and social care in the borough.
Of these, 128 completed our ‘Have Your Say’ survey forms and we also recorded 123 pieces of feedback on our database via telephone, email and website forms over the past year.
Almost 45 per cent of the comments made in the survey were about GP services, with many about the infamous ‘8am rush’ to secure appointments by telephone.
Some patients were unhappy at being pushed to use eConsult, while there were reports the waiting time to see a GP was up to 25 days. However, four GP practices were singled out for praise by patients – with Albert Road namechecked by five survey respondents.
The second most commented on area was hospital care, including inpatient, outpatient and A&E, with just under a third of all feedback.
Most comments on both in and outpatient care were complimentary, particularly around care and cleanliness, but there were some concerns expressed about understaffing relating to nursing. Waiting times at A&E were another area of concern for some patients, with waits of up to 20 hours claimed.
Dental care was the third most commented on service, with almost all feedback referring to the difficulty accessing NHS dental services – not a new issue both locally and nationally.
One respondent wrote: “It is very difficult to get an appointment with my GP or be seen by a dentist on the NHS.”
A range of other healthcare services commented on by survey respondents included mental health, home care, care homes and palliative care.
However, less than a quarter of the respondents said they were also asked about their mental health when meeting a health or social care professional.
Positive comments included praise for the Brain Injury Service, Breastfeeding Support Team, South Tyneside Family Hub, Cedar Unit and Sunderland Royal Hospital.
The overall ‘mood’ of the feedback appeared more positive than in recent years, which reflects national opinion polling about the NHS.
But Healthwatch has recommended primary care commissioners look at the negative comments around GP access – potentially seeing if the surgeries which received praise could share some best practice.
Several respondents were positive about pharmacies, and the report also suggests more promotion around the increased range of services they offer could help reduce demand for GP appointments.
Read the full report here.
