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Healthwatch Voices Your views on your health and care services in , and : 2021

COVID-19 Local & national updates about the vaccines

In this issue: Local people’s Join the Healthwatch Our new websites have shielding experiences Assist network been launched Welcome to the Winter edition of our Healthwatch Voices Magazine for Devon, Plymouth and Torbay. The start of 2021 has brought some fresh hope as Contents the launch of an approved COVID-19 vaccination Contact us Welcome to programme reaches our communities. However, our health and social care services remain under 0800 520 0640 extreme pressure and we all have an important COVID-19 Vaccine local & national 4 our 2nd joint part to play to help the NHS deliver their vaccine information delivery plan. We still have a long way to go and Devon Team: need to support our NHS through this extremely [email protected] magazine difficult time by staying at home. healthwatchdevon.co.uk Your shielding experiences 5 The pandemic has brought about many changes for us as well here at Healthwatch in Devon, Plymouth @HwDevon and Torbay. We have had to make rapid changes to the way we work at many levels. We have continued to work closely with all of our key stakeholders across Devon, including receiving and sharing information @healthwatchdevon and guidance with the community from the NHS Devon Clinical Commissioning Group, local Authorities, Healthwatch Devon updates 9 local Public Health teams and nationally from Healthwatch , the Care Quality Commission and NHS Plymouth Team: England. info@healthwatchplymouth. Although our face-to-face services have been suspended due to coronavirus guidelines, Healthwatch in co.uk Devon, Plymouth and Torbay are still working hard to capture people’s experiences of health and social care Healthwatch Plymouth updates 13 and to continue to help shape service improvements. Last year and the start of this year has been a very healthwatchplymouth.co.uk unusual one to say the least, particularly as we are unable to engage with the public in many of the ways we @HealthwatchPlym are normally used to. But it has remained important for us to continue to capture what life has been like for people across Devon who are still using our health and social care services . We have been using surveys, @HealthwatchPlymouth online Zoom calls and virtual meetings to engage with our local community and we continue to support our Healthwatch Torbay updates 17 health and social care partners in any way we can to feed back the valuable experiences of local people. Torbay Team: We are thankful to NHS staff, key workers and volunteers who will be working extremely hard to recover from this pandemic and will need all of our help to do so. Your feedback will be very important moving forward [email protected] so that Healthwatch, providers and commissioners of services can capture what is working well and what healthwatchtorbay.org.uk Your views and reviews 23 may need to be improved. So we hope you will support your local Healthwatch by sharing your local health @HWTorbay and social care experiences with us. This could be by leaving a review of your visit to a local service on our websites, taking part in our regular healthcare surveys, or calling our freephone contact centre to raise an @HealthwatchTorbay issue on 0800 520 0640. Changes to healthcare near you 27

We are not out of the woods yet and are in fact experiencing harder times with the added pressure the Winter season puts on us and our health and social care services. So please, if you can, stay at home to protect the NHS and help us all to recover. Only by working together can we all get through this. E-news roundup 32 Thank you and we hope you enjoy this Winter edition of our magazine.

The Healthwatch in Devon, Plymouth Pat Harris Janie Moor Vicky Shipway and Torbay team back in December! Chief Executive Officer Chief Executive Officer Chief Executive Officer Don’t forget to share your views! Healthwatch Torbay and Citizens Advice Colebrook (SouthWest) Ltd For more information about us, Leave feedback about care services Engaging Communities South West or to access this document in a different format, please email communications@hwdevon- where you live and help those services plymouth-torbay.org rebuild after COVID-19 Published items do not neccessarily represent the views of Healthwatch in Devon | Plymouth | Torbay Devon, Plymouth and Torbay. in BSL Articles may include personal accounts which have been anonymised. Find out what Healthwatch does This Quarter COVID Vaccine at a glance Local & national information

Take a look at what you need to know about the COVID-19 vaccination programme:

Social media users 91 people have reviewed Local information: National information: saw our posts over services on our webiste 320,000 times Together for Devon: Delivering an NHS NHS COVID-19 Vaccine COVID-19 vaccination programme information COVID-19 vaccine GOV.UK Priority groups for Local healthwatch information COVID-19 vaccination: advice from escalated 22 serious the JCVI We’ve produced 6 complaints or Coronavirus guidance in different languages reports, including a concerns to other from Devon County Council NHS: COVID-19 Vaccination Frequently asked report on local people’s organisations questions experiences of shielding COVID-19 vaccine in lockdown information Healthwatch: COVID-19 Vaccination 1.0 Programme Q&A COVID-19 vaccine information Our Healthwatch Champions escalated 7 NHS: Priority groups for first phase of serious complaints or COVID-19 vaccination image concerns to other We’ve recieved We all have an important part to GOV.UK: COVID-19 vaccination: why you are organisations & had 822 being asked to wait in different languages responses to your forms of engagement play to help the NHS deliver online reviews from key from the public needing their vaccine delivery plan BBC: Coronavirus vaccine Q&A in five South organisations & advice & guidance on Asian languages providers, all available health & social care Please do not contact the NHS to seek a on page 27 vaccine, the NHS will contact you. Staff from the Higher Education Statistics When you are contacted, please book and Agency Medical Centre share advice about attend your appointment(s). the Covid-19 vaccine in English, Arabic, Farsi, Gujarati, Punjabi and Urdu We signposted Turn up to your appointment on time, do We joined engagement 54 people to not arrive early or late as the vaccination meetings with various other services centres cannot accommodate you. groups including the SignHealth: British Devon Joint Regardless of whether or not you have Engagement Forum, been vaccinated, you must continue to Sign Language the Livewell South West We organised a Zoom follow the Government advice around (BSL) COVID-19 transformation plan focus group for our Sid COVID-19 restrictions. Vaccine meeting and a Royal Valley engagement Information BSL Devon & NHS work and joined the Trust Patient NHS Devon CCG Engagement meeting Engagement Panel Find local support NHS: Easy read during COVID-19: guide to the COVID-19 Devon | Plymouth | Torbay vaccination 5 Community Engagment Report 6 Community Engagment Report Your shielding Healthwatch report experiences highlights inconsistencies in lockdown 1.0 in NHS 111 service in & Devon Overview Key findings include: Shielding was a policy designed to protect clinically vulnerable Some of people during the Covid-19 pandemic; this included organ consultation findings • 40.86% (76) of people transplant recipients, people with severe respiratory conditions rated their experience of and certain types of cancer, and people with compromised or • Many respondents struggled with using the NHS 111 service suppressed immune systems. social isolation and loneliness and as ‘very good’. while shielding, which had a • 23.66% (44) of respondents The guidance, first published by the UK government on 21st negative impact on their mental Overview March 2020, advised people at the highest risk of death or health People who had more waited longer than three hours for an arranged severe illness due to Covid-19 to stay at home, avoid face-to- positive experiences mentioned Our latest report shows that although the NHS 111 call-back. service in Somerset and Devon is rated highly by the face contact, and practice social distancing with people within that social support and virtual • A fifth, 20.43% (38), of commentators never contact helped them. public, there are inconsistencies in the quality of the their household. The guidance was relaxed throughout June received an arranged call-back. and July before being paused on 1st August, with vulnerable service. people subsequently allowed to leave the house for shopping, • Many respondents had negative • Most people, 75.81% (141), said that their call was work, exercise, or education, if strict social distancing is experiences with supermarket 111 is the NHS non-emergency number. When you answered in a timely manner. delivery and food parcels; several observed. call 111 you speak to a highly trained telephone struggled to get delivery slots or adviser, supported by healthcare professionals • Improved training for call operators was the most We created a survey that allowed respondents to share their said food parcels were inadequate (nurses or paramedics). They ask you a series of common response to the question: ‘In your experiences of shielding. Due to concerns about the spread of or inappropriate. Mentions of questions to assess your symptoms which allows opinion how could the NHS 111 service be medication delivery and collection Covid-19, in-person engagement events were not held, and the them to direct you to the best medical care for your improved?’ were nearly all positive. survey was promoted entirely online. needs. NHS 111 is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with calls free from landlines and mobile • Some people, 7.59% (12), reported that they had The Healthwatch Devon, Plymouth, and Torbay Facebook pages • Communication about shielding to call 999 or visit an emergency department due could be improved. Nearly a third phones. have a combined 2,345 likes and 2,777 followers and the Twitter to inadequate responses from the NHS 111 teams. of respondents said they had not Devon Doctors is commissioned to provide an pages have a combined 9,079 followers. 69 Facebook posts and enough or none of the information 75 Twitter posts were used to publicise the survey between 4 integrated urgent care service in the Devon and • 7.53% of comments to the question ‘Is there they needed to help them make anything else you would like to tell us?’ said that August and 10 September; the posts had a combined reach of decisions about shielding. Over a Somerset , of which the NHS 111 phoneline calling NHS 111 was quicker or better than access 82,918 and received 802 engagements (including link clicks, third of respondents said that none and urgent out-of-hours care are key components. shares, and likes). or only some of the information to their registered GP surgery. From 5 October until 20 November 2020 local they received about shielding was • It is evident throughout the feedback that the The survey was featured as a news item on the Healthwatch clear. Healthwatch in Devon, Plymouth, Torbay and Devon, Plymouth, and Torbay websites, receiving a total of 264 Somerset joined forces to promote a regional survey accuracy and quality of the service people unique page views. Healthwatch Devon, Plymouth, and Torbay to ensure that people using the NHS 111 service had received was not consistent. also featured a link to the survey in their weekly e-newsletters, their say on the way it is delivered to them. which have over 2,000 subscribers. 186 people from Devon, Plymouth, Somerset and Click here to read If you would like to share your experiences, Torbay completed the online survey, with the or are facing issues that we discuss in the responses independently analysed by Healthwatch the full report report now that we are in lockdown again, and detailed in our new survey report. please get in touch with our team: Public feedback within the report Email [email protected] This was our first joint piece of work with Healthwatch Click here to read the shows that the accuracy and quality Somerset. We really enjoyed working with their team and Or call freephone 0800 520 0640 of the service people received was plan to conutine working as a team with Devon Doctors full report Monday-Friday, 10am-4pm not consistent, despite many people with a view to revisit the survey again to see if patient rating their experience highly. experience has changed over time. Key Messages Reports from

Our teams are always working to get the to the public England latest key messages and consultations from healthcare services out to the public, whether over social media, via our weekly e-bulletins discharge must be COVID-19 pandemic pushes NHS Surveys: improved to manage COVID-19 dentistry to crisis point or on our news pages. Here were some of the second peak key messages from October-December 2020: NHS England and NHS Healthwatch experienced a 452% increase Improvement South West To help free up 15,000 beds in feedback on the issue in the second want to understand more about and cope with demand at the peak of quarter of 2020, with continuing accounts of people oral health of people in the South West the pandemic, the Government issued policy to being left in pain, resorting to ‘DIY’ repair methods and in Important updates, including A study wants to see what the public think switch to a ‘discharge to assess’ model in March 2020. some cases even extracting their own teeth. reports: This meant people were discharged from hospital of the design of the metal wing that The review of 1,300 people’s experiences of accessing supports adhesive bridges, used when faster by having their ongoing care needs assessed at CQC: COVID-19 is magnifying inequalities and “risks dental care found that: turning fault lines into chasms” replacing missing teeth home. • More than 7 in 10 people (73%) found it difficult to NHS in Devon working together to keep essential services Understanding your views about a The public is grateful for the dedicated doctors, running COVID-19 vaccine nurses and care staff who worked hard to save lives access help and support when they needed it. during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic. Health and Social Care feedback and • Access issues were caused by dentists not taking on New Healthwatch hospital discharge report calls for However, although the speed at which people were action engagement survey from the Care Quality NHS patients, as well as conflicting advice from Commission discharged from hospital was important, it also led to different parts of the NHS about what help is NHS England and Public Health England, ask “Help us, worse care and a lack of support for some patients available. Help you” Have your say on the Transformation leaving hospital. Programme for Livewell Southwest • Many people were offered treatment if they went Thousands of children in care being ‘failed by the state’ In partnership with British Red Cross, this report private, despite research indicating that 40% of Bring your voice to NHS specialised reviews the experiences of 590 people. The research Help reduce demand on NHS services by getting your free people would struggle to afford private dental care. services exposes where the current policy is creating gaps in flu vaccination Do Not Attempt to Resuscitate during care and calls on the NHS to address these issues as • The impact of not being able to access care led to Urgent call for 500 Plymouth volunteers to take part in a COVID-19 Survey we entered the busy winter period amidst growing many people to experience pain, discomfort and new COVID-19 vaccine study pressures of a second COVID-19 wave. further complications. 16 Days of Action: NHS in Devon ‘empowering people and Click here to read the report Click here to read the report changing lives’ by delivering expert care on domestic abuse and sexual violence Other news: ‘Contacting 111 first will get you the right treatment more quickly’, says Devon doctor introducing new service Digital Health Devon gets a revamp! NHS England want to hear from you for their proposed set of ‘Make the right call’ this winter - only call 999 in a life Sharing local virtual events running for performance measures for A&E threatening situation. Think 111 first. Carers Rights Day 2020 NHS England want to hear what patients, clinicians and the public think COVID-19 pandemic pushes NHS dentistry to crisis point, Opportunity Knocks running support about the proposed set of indicators for Urgent Care. NHS England are finds new report groups in Plymouth seeking views on the recommendations made within their new report from anyone with an interest including patients, their representatives, Hospitals To Start Biggest Ever NHS Volunteer for Digi Health Devon Vaccination Programme members of the public and NHS staff and organisations, which will Devon World mental health day resourses provide valuable further insight and evidence to inform final Frequent updates about local covid recommendations, implementation and operational guidance. news and vaccine news Learn how to make a GP appointment online with Digital Health Devon for Find out more and have your say Frequent updates form local #getonlineweek! co our mm councils and hospitals Plymouth y u To help understand the impact of potential new targets on patients and the public, lp n e i t Healthwatch spoke to people to find out what matters to them when using Accident and H y Want to keep up The public engagements we ran, Emergency departments to date with us? reports we published, info on Torbay The report found time alone doesn’t dictate how people feel about their experience of Follow our teams local support during COVID-19 & on Facebook A&E. and Twitter: updates from care services can be Click here to read the report found throughtout the magazine! 10 Devon

Building a network of voices for health and What you can expect from us social care - Healthwatch Assist • Website link and tag on Assist map with link to Our engagement team and Healthwatch Champions your website have been doing a fantastic job in growing our • Supply of Healthwatch promotional posters and Healthwatch Assist network! So far we have had leaflets, including digital content almost 40 groups sign up as assist network members, • Engagement with your social media messages including Active Devon, So Social , Wellbeing Exeter and many more. • Small feature in our quarterly Voices magazine/ Monthly E-Bulletin This network allows us to build links with communities so we can gather information about the health and • Signpost to your service where appropriate care services they use. We simply want to know what • Receive updates about local and national health The latest from is and is not working. This information is fed back into and social care issues via our website, emails and the community and shared with key healthcare newsletter decision makers who can learn from good practice our Devon team • Be the first to know about upcoming events and and make improvements to local services. opportunities to raise awareness of what you do If your group meet regularly or plays an active role in • Invitation to attend our Healthwatch quarterly Healthwatch Assist Community Hero Award the community, if your members/service users are Network events and help inform Healthwatch open to talk about their health and social care work and direction Claire Austin, Founder of Friends in Need experiences in a confidential setting, and if your group • An invite to our AGM keen to play an active role in shaping local health and Mum of three saving lives in Exmouth as people struggle to feed social care services, then join us! • Small Grant Scheme for specific pieces of themselves. engagement We will provide you with information to disseminate • Acknowledgement in our reports When Claire Austin set up a Facebook page to collect food and to your members about local health and social care in clothing for people who had suddenly found themselves in financial Devon. Our Assists are the first to hear about any new hardship, she never imagined how much it would change peoples’ projects we are working on and are always invited to lives, including her own. provide feedback on behalf of their members/service For more information about joining Within three months of setting up Exmouth Friends in Need it had users, meaning their voices are captured in our gained 3,000 members and now, with rising demand for support reports. Where appropriate there will also be us please click here, contact us on since the Covid-19 pandemic broke, there are 7.3k members in the opportunities for partnership working on relevant 0800 520 0640 or email Winning the Community Contribution projects! group. Award at the 2020 Pride of Devon [email protected] Claire, a busy mum of three children aged 13, 10, and 8, admits she awards, judges heard how Claire ‘has had no idea how prevalent poverty was in Exmouth until she began built a community of care for families in the online page, and says the response it receives shows how poverty and need in the town, helping community spirit is still alive. What started as voluntary she now runs over twenty* families a week.’ this on a full time basis. *"People say what I’ve done for them is Calling all life-changing and say they don’t know where they would be right now if it was Community not for Exmouth Friends in Need which is incredibly humbling.” Groups

You can support the group at Exmouth Friends in Need Click here to Source: Devon Live download an Contact our Devon Team: If you would like to nominate our next application form Healthwatch Assist Network Hero or are a [email protected] voluntary or community group would like to healthwatchdevon.co.uk join our network please email @HwDevon [email protected] @healthwatchdevon 11 Devon 12 Devon A day in life of....

From October to December Healthwatch A day in 2020 our Healthwatch the life of a Champions have had 822 Ask to talk to a Champions Healthwatch forms of engagement from Champion today! Champion the public needing advice Call 0800 520 0640 Ever wondered what a ‘Healthwatch Champion’ is? and guidance on all aspects Or what a Champion does? Healthwatch contact centre also refers clients who of health & social care! need more specialised help from a Healthwatch 10am - 4pm Shirley Weeks is the Healthwatch Champion for the South Champion. I also receive referrals from partner Monday - Friday Hams. agencies, for example Devon Carers. I have two new enquiries today, both of which are concerned with ‘Like many people, my working day starts with checking Social Care.’ my emails. They always seem to magically multiply overnight so the first hour of my working day is taken up ‘A client is concerned about her elderly Mother who has with working through my inbox.’ had several falls at home. The Mother lives alone and Helpful contacts in Devon during COVID-19: my client is worried that she is at risk. I call the client ‘Today, I have several messages that need dealing with and gather more background information on her straightaway. The Team leader of the mental health Social Citizens Advice Devon: 0800144844 Mother’s situation. I advise her that her Mother can ask work team at one of my local Health Centres has invited for a Care Needs Assessment from Devon County me to come and give a talk to give them more insight into Council and I talk her through the process, including South Hams DC Community helpline: 01803 861297 my role. I am happy to accept this invitation as I am always the Financial Assessment and give her the phone happy to spread the word about the Citizens Advice/ number for Care Direct. After the call, I follow up with Devon County Council Coronavirus Emergency Helpline: 0345 155 1011 Healthwatch partnership. It is also crucial to develop good an email and a link to the Care Direct website.’ relationships with local Healthcare professionals as we often have clients in common.’ ‘My other new client had already had a Social Care “I advise her that she can ask for a Care Needs Assessment and has a Care Plan in place. However, she Assessment & talk her through the process” feels her Carers don’t have time to sit and talk to her and she feels lonely. She would How Your Voice Has Counted ‘Next it’s onto a client who has contacted me about a letter also like to be able to go she has received in response to a complaint letter that I shopping but can’t manage on helped her to submit to her local hospital. She is unhappy her own. I give her a call and with the content of the letter and feels her concerns I have have a long chat with her about You Said not been adequately addressed. I give her a call and her situation. I promise to look discuss her options and eventually agree to help her into options for her and to call Issue with access escalate her concerns to the next stage of the NHS her back. I would usually refer complaint process. I help her to draft a letter to the her to a Social Prescriber in her to breast cancer hospital and give the client the correct address to send it area, but this is not available in We Did screening to. I ask her to come back to me when she has had a reply her local area. I research Care and to see whether she is satisfied with the response.’ community groups in her local area and find a local The case voluntary group that offers a befriending service and ‘Late morning and it’s time for a meeting with my an accessible minibus into town. I give them a call and Healthwatch Devon was made aware by a member of If you have been affected by this, or issues like this, Healthwatch colleagues to catch up on what the wider they are happy to help. I call the client back and give the public and Age UK Exeter that women over the age and would like to share your experience, please team has been doing. It’s always interesting to learn what her the contact details. She is happy to think she will of 70 were being denied the opportunity to self-refer for leave feedback on your local Healthwatch website, other colleagues have been doing. Today we are talking soon have more company and be able to get out and about Engagement strategy and how will can reach continued breast cancer screening. email us at [email protected] about, it will make all the difference to her wellbeing.’ or freephone 0800 520 0640. communities who do not have access to the internet. We forwarded these concerns to NHS Devon Clinical ‘After that it’s a quick look through my emails again to Citizens Advice Healthwatch Champions have a vital role Commissioning Group who informed us this would be Sharing your experience can help services improve to play in raising awareness of the service across hard-to- check on what has come in during the day and respond forwarded on to NHS England. for the future. We have the power to tell your stories reach clients and communities.’ to anything urgent. I have an email from the Patient to those who have the power to Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) in response to a letter NHS England’s Response make changes happen. ‘After a quick break for lunch, I check for new client I sent them last week, so I respond to that before referrals. Clients can come from several sources. The finishing work for the day. Like a lot of people, I’m We are pleased to report that NHS England has now Citizens Advice core service advisers identify clients who working from home at the moment, so it’s a quick reversed the decision to temporarily cease women over need Healthwatch input and will refer them to me. The commute home for me from my spare room! ‘ the age of 70 to self-refer for screening. 14 Plymouth

Helping the Livewell Transformation Working with Barnardos HYPE Plymouth Programme Barnardos and Livewell Southwest are working in Livewell are looking at how they transform their partnership to run HYPE (Helping Young People And community and urgent care services, specifically a Families Engage). Their mission is to listen to and transformation programme is establishing a new understand young people’s experiences of health service model for physical, mental health and care. learning disabilities, streamlining over 50 current services to five key areas of delivery. Healthwatch Plymouth and Barnardos HYPE have agreed to work together to look at sharing concerns Livewell Southwest requested assistance from and finding out what is working well with children’s Healthwatch Plymouth for this work. We helped services in Plymouth. We have plans for a joint The latest from them share an online survey and delivered campaign with HYPE to gather patient experience. engagement in the form of two remote Forums in Watch this space! our Plymouth team Nov 2020. Our report was submitted to Livewell SW in January 2020. The report aims to help Livewell structure their future model of community health and social Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Following a previous select committee in February care delivery. Scrutiny Committee 2020, Healthwatch Plymouth, along with other witnesses from Public Health and the Peninsula It’s vital to Livewell Southwest that they understand Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Dental School, were invited to attend a follow up the views and opinions of the people who use their is part of the Local Authorities committee portfolio select committee in mid-December 2020 around services; the people they work with are at the heart and works closely with the Health & Wellbeing Board. NHS Dental Services where we presented the themes of everything they do. They use the feedback to The committee looks at all aspects of Health & Adult from patient feedback received since February. The improve and to help you get the best from them. Social Care regularly asking health and social care committee then heard from NHS England South commissioners of services to give updates on the West’s Dental Commissioning team on their response Contact our Plymouth Team: plans for developing services or to answer concerns to the committee’s recommendations around NHS raised to the committee around the performance of [email protected] Dental Services in Plymouth. existing services. healthwatchplymouth.co.uk Full information on the work of this committee can As the statutory voice for patient and public @HealthwatchPlym be found at the following links: experience of services, Healthwatch can be invited to @HealthwatchPlymouth attend to give evidence of issues being raised by the Health and Adult Social Care Overview and public. Scrutiny Committee Recently, Healthwatch Plymouth were invited to the Select Committee Committe’s meeting in early December 2020 to give an overview of patient experience of Primary Care Services since the start of the Covid pandemic as Spa Dental - Sharing Our Concerns well as an update on our engagement activity. At Help during COVID-19 in Plymouth: the meeting we raised issues around accessing GP In October 2020, due to a change in NHS Caring for Plymouth is a partnership between the Council, Livewell Southwest and a large services and NHS Dental services. As a result, the contract arrangements, the Spa Dental number of voluntary and community sector organisations that provides a vital lifeline for committee is planning to hold a ‘select’ committee’ service in Plymouth reduced their patient people who are clinically extremely vulnerable to COVID-19. to look at the issues raised around GP services early list by over 1,200 patients. in the new year. A select committee will focus on If you need urgent support, please call 01752 668000 one agenda item and will invite various Healthwatch Plymouth got in touch with NHS click here organisations, commissioners, and providers to England with an enquiry into why this happened, To find out more about services on offer, . attend. At the end of the meeting a series of and to find out what they planned to do to assist the recommendations are made. patients to find a new practise. Across the , accessing NHS We are currently still awaiting a response from NHS Dental Services is becoming more difficult, this is England. particularly true in Plymouth where there are currently 15,000 people on the waiting list to be registered with a service. 15 Plymouth 16 Plymouth How Your Voice Has Counted How Your Voice Has Counted

Mayflower Group Response care. We hope that this will provide some You Said Mayflower assurances to patients that we are here for We acknowledge the rapid of change that them, we are open, and that by supporting us to Response to occurred throughout Primary Care during the help our patients, we can ensure that we are pandemic period may have caused some Healthwatch able to continue to deliver our ethos of “Putting difficulties for our patients and as a result Patients First”. We Did Concerns presented challenges in accessing some of our services. We understand that some of our patients may prefer not to use digital platforms to access The case the surgery and we are currently exploring has been around accessing the service via telephone whether there are suitable alternatives to ensure Healthwatch Plymouth is aware of the various and the long waits experienced by patients. that patients are still able to contact the surgery challenges faced by Primary Care in Plymouth following Our previous discussions with Managers following with ease to order their medication or book in for the COVID Lockdown and current restoration of services. these reports highlighted both staffing and technical routine appointments as part of immunisation or Our team is engaged with NHS Devon CCG Primary issues with the call centre that recently may have been screening programmes. Care Quality Assurance Committee, providing them compounded by COVID-19 lockdown requirements. with feedback from patients about both good and bad E-Consult has been commissioned by Devon health and social care experiences. The introduction of e-Consult prior to the COVID-19 Clinical Commissioning Group and is in place in During the period 1 January to 31 August we received pandemic presented some challenges to the majority of GP Practices across Devon. Any 48 pieces of patient feedback about the Mayflower implementation that resulted in a meeting between functional developments developed by e-Consult Group of surgeries. Many of these sited issues around Mayflower Group Staff, Patient representatives from the are not the responsibility of Mayflower Medical contacting the surgery to arrange appointments both Practice and local councillors. Group. E-Consult is one of a number of online before and after the COVID-19 Lockdown. Form the consultation platforms available and has, and feedback received, we contacted the Management Team Whilst understanding that face to face appointments always will be, one of several routes of contact for at Mayflower Group with detailed anonymised patient are more difficult at present, difficulties in accessing the patients to the practices. By 2021, it will become a feedback and our observations. service has contributed towards some patients who are contractual requirement for all GP Practices to seeking information and support feeling that their offer their registered patients online consultations Are you facing issues like this? Get in Healthwatch Observations needs have not been met. Where there is repeated as a method of contact. touch with our teams! From reviewing the feedback that we received about contact, patients need to be assured that they can be We are currently recruiting and expanding our the Mayflower Group, the main issues raised are seen in person where clinically appropriate. long-term conditions team that provide bespoke predominately around contacting the group on the We have the power to tell your stories Anecdotally, we have also heard that the telephone care to many of our patients and as a result hope Telephone and the use of e-Consult. Not all patients are operators working on the single point of access number to be able to provide additional educational to those who have the power to make able to access digital technology for various reasons and may be completing e-Consult with patients who ring sessions to patients with long term conditions to rely on telephone access to services to meet their needs. changes happen. up. The number of operators may have been reduced enable them to access specialised advice and More generally we have also seen feedback about issues due to COVID guideline requirements, which could information relating to their condition, as well as with the questions within e-Consult and how patients inadvertently be causing some of the telephone length peer-to-peer support where appropriate. It’s Call 0800 520 0640, or contact your are having to ‘work the questions’ to try to contact their important that patients are able to attend these GP Surgery around long-term conditions. of waits that patients are feeding back to us. local Healthwatch: appointments when they receive an invitation to Communication also remains a negative feature of Healthwatch Recommendations ensure they receive appropriate care and monitoring for their condition. feedback about the Mayflower Group. Healthwatch Plymouth has the following Devon Team: The single point of access number has been operating recommendations for the Mayflower Group We are also planning to launch our new [email protected] consolidated Patient Participation Group since November 2018 and our team conducted a survey Access to the Mayflower Group for enquiries/ healthwatchdevon.co.uk “Mayflower Voice” in the New Year, so welcome in early 2019 about both its implementation and patient appointments for patients needs to be reviewed to expressions of interest from patients that would experience of using it reporting in May 2019. Since then make it quicker as frustration over long telephone waits like to become members of this group. Plymouth Team: we have provided regular remains and features regularly in the patient feedback patient feedback reports and that we receive. This access needs to be equitable as not Over the coming weeks, in conjunction with [email protected] have raised individual issues everyone will have access to broadband/IT equipment Public Health England’s Campaign “how to access healthwatchplymouth.co.uk with Operational and Practice or the necessary IT skills to use e-Consult. your GP surgery”, we will be releasing a series of Managers, predominately promotional campaign materials to support our around medicines prescribing. As post-COVID recovery of services continues, access to patients in understanding the many different ways Torbay Team: Throughout this time the services supporting those with long term conditions they can contact the surgery to receive advice and consistent issue raised with us need to be part of this recovery programme. [email protected] healthwatchtorbay.org.uk 18 Torbay

Engaging with our Polish community “With so much information available it can sometimes be hard for people to know what information is In the summer of 2020 we were asked by the Palace accurate and where to go for trustworthy advice. Theatre in to recite a poem for the NHS - ‘These That’s why, COVID Champions are needed as they can are the Hands’ by Michael Rosen, for a project where be seen as a ‘trustworthy source’ for the people they members of the local community our videoed reciting know.” Commented Ola, “I believe that by working in relevant poems to uplift the local social media collaboration with other organisations we can build a community during COVID-19 lockdown. stronger networks and engage with our local The whole Torbay team did this and our own project community effectively. Together we can achieve more support worker Aleksandra Burckett even recited the in keeping Torbay community informed and safe.” poem in her native Polish For more information call free on 08000 520 029 The latest from tongue to be shared online, or email [email protected]. which was very well-received by the local community, available our Torbay team to view HERE. Since then, Ola, as she prefers to be called, has been translating Torbay Carers Consultation Coronavirus Community Helpline We’d like to thank everyone who has applied to be a vital information about Healthwatch Torbay’s latest local consultation is an Vaccination Volunteer, as part of the mass vaccination COVID-19 into Polish for the Our staff and volunteers have been supporting a independent survey into local Carer Support and how efforts taking place at the Riviera Centre. local community, which has local community helpline, started initially for those services could do things differently. been shared on all the Healthwatch websites in Devon, affected by the Coronavirus Pandemic and open to Over 200 volunteers have signed up to help at the Riviera Plymouth and Torbay, along with various different Polish Every 3 years Torbay Carers set out plans for Carers’ the people of Torbay to request help, volunteer Centre. If you’d still like to try and apply, please call Facebook groups. Support for the future. A vital part of this is finding their assistance or refer anyone they believe/know Torbay Community Helpline on 01803 446022, out from Carers what is needs help. or fill in an online form - CLICK TO ACCESS This attracted the attention of the local Public Health working well, what is Team in Torbay, who got in touch with us to ask whether It became a huge operation, taking more than important to them, and she could do the same for some of the materials and 16,000 calls throughout 2020 and touching base acting on their communications that they have been sending out to the with nearly 5,000 people. feedback. local community. This included important information The Torbay Community Helpline is operated by about COVID symptoms, what to do when you get them, Feedback from the now staff, volunteers, associates and partners of various where to go, and the rules of self-isolation. This message closed consultation is different Torbay organisations, including was put into a poster format - which we than helped to currently being analysed and collated into a final Healthwatch Torbay, Torbay Community distribute to local Polish shops to be put on display. Ola report for Torbay Carers’ Services, who have Development Trust, Citizens Advice Torbay, Torbay and the Public Health Torbay Team are also in the process committed to using the report findings to help shape Council, Torbay and NHS Foundation of producing an information video for the local Polish Carers’ services in Torbay over the next three years. Trust, Age UK Torbay, Does Care, Torbay community on how to access information and details on To join Torbay Carers’ Register, or for any support in Advice Network, Imagine This, Yes Brixham, Libraries COVID testing. your caring role, please do contact Carers’ Services on Unlimited, What’s Your Problem CIC, Disability In November Ola became a COVID ‘Champion’ for Torbay, 01803 66 66 20, email [email protected] or visit Support Torbay, Homemaker South West and an initiative run by Public Health where Champions www.tsdft.uk/carers others. receive an up-to-date local Coronavirus information and The Torbay Food Alliance, which has brought share this with as many people as possible, including together food banks across the Bay, has already local Healthwatch, friends, family, work colleges and of provided more than 250,000 meals since the crisis course the local Polish community. began and is expecting a significant increase in Now, BBC Radio Devon have made the decision to begin demand. a series of health updates in Polish, featuring our very Contact our Torbay Team: The phone line - 01803 446022, is open 10am-6pm own Ola! [email protected] Monday-Friday, and 9:30am-12:30pm on Saturdays. The first broadcast went out on Monday 25th January. healthwatchtorbay.org.uk The helpline recently appealed for any help with You can hear about some of the work Ola has been doing @HWTorbay the vaccination efforts at the Riviera International locally translating important COVID messages for the Conference Centre in , in particular - local Polish community from 1:58 @HealthwatchTorbay Marshalls for marshalling people in and out of the To listen please click here. RICC, and support for the likes of nervous patients. 20 Community Engagment Report

Key consultation Other Projects Modernising findings • In total there were 1013 In addition to our statutory work, we are also involved in a number of healthcare survey responses from commissioned pieces of work to ensure the voice of the public is acted upon across Devon, 98 and included in any future decisions by key local decision makers. This page households attended six services public meetings, over 80 provides updates on the most recent of these commissioned projects. people attended seven in community meetings and 44 people attended three staff meetings.

& • Most feedback came Leg ulcer treatment: from (92.3%) Teignmouth and Dawlish Overview experiences & views residents (90.43%) over • The proposal to move Proposals to modernise health and care services in the the age of 55 (78.38%). specialist outpatient Teignmouth and Dawlish area have been approved. There was a mix of clinics from gender, sexual Teignmouth o f p e o p l e i n D e v o n At its meeting on 17 December 2020, the Governing orientation, disabilities, Community Hospital to Body of NHS Devon Clinical Commissioning Group and religion. Dawlish Community (NHS Devon CCG) approved a series of Hospital was met with recommendations, which will see some services moved • More respondents had Overview mixed feelings. from Teignmouth Community Hospital to a new Health not used services at The way leg ulcer treatment is delivered varies across (who have consented to receiving text/email from the and Wellbeing Centre in the town centre and some Teignmouth Community • There were similar Devon. In Eastern and Southern Devon, it is delivered practice). A paper copy was also provided to patients as services to Dawlish Community Hospital. Hospital (56.66%) and mixed feelings to the partially by GP surgeries and partially by community they came in for treatment appointments so as not to Dawlish Community proposal to move day service providers. In Western and Northern Devon, it is exclude those who would be unable to use the digital Members also approved a recommendation to Hospital (68.90%) in the case procedures from delivered solely by community service providers. survey. Overall 65 patients responded to the survey- 11 via continue with a model of community-based previous 12 months than Teignmouth Survey Monkey and 54 via paper. intermediate care and reverse a previous decision to had used services. There is national NHS guidance on management establish 12 rehabilitation beds at Teignmouth Community Hospital to Dawlish Community available - click here to access - including pathways To obtain further detailed feedback on patient experience Community Hospital. • The majority of survey Hospital. and NICE guidance available - click here to view. about the treatment of leg ulcers, Healthwatch conducted respondents (96.64%) During the Governing Body session, members additional interviews with leg ulcer patients to find out fully understood the In October 2020 NHS Devon Clinical Commissioning considered a range of evidence, including a report by • Comparable results what went well during their treatment and what could be consultation proposal. Group (CCG) invited both patients and staff involved improved. Healthwatch in Devon, Plymouth and Torbay on the were found in feedback within Lower Limb Therapy Services (LLTS) to outcomes of a formal public consultation on a proposal about the proposal to • The majority of complete a short survey. The patient survey link was More information, including the key findings from our for the future delivery of services, which ran from 1 reverse the decision to respondents (61.3%) sent out proactively by providers to leg ulcer patients consultation, in our report - coming soon to our website! September to 26 October 2020. establish 12 supported the overall rehabilitation beds in proposal. The report provided an analysis of the responses to the Teignmouth consultation questionnaire, as well as highlighting Community Hospital. common themes, comments and criticisms, and listing • The majority of respondents (63.18%) a range of alternative proposals and suggestions made • Respondents also had supported the proposal by local people. repeated concerns to move high-use about travel and community clinics from parking. From Devon Health & Adult Care Teignmouth Community Scrutiny Commitee: Hospital to the Health Healthwatch felt that NHS and Wellbeing Centre in “Healthwatch tried to include as much Teignmouth town centre. detail in the report in terms of views of Devon CCG did all they could to public represented. Members recognised represent the patient voice in this and thanked Healthwatch for their this consultation. work and efforts. Members felt it was an Click here to read the proposal excellent report and commended the engagement undertaken.” in full and download the report 21 Coming soon Sid Valley Don’t Miss Out ices im rv p e r Your awareness s o p l v and experience e e H engagement of ‘Think 111 First’

From 21st Sept–31st October 2020, Sid Valley GP practice in We are seeking your views commissioned Healthwatch to do some very targeted and focused independent on behalf of the Devon engagement with people in Sidmouth registered with the practice. Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) on your awareness and experience of the ‘Think 111 First’ campaign. We will be running remote forums in February Overview Our role and would like to hear from a range of Community and Voluntary groups across Sid Valley GP practice recently launched Healthwatch Devon, Plymouth & • The engagement was Devon, Plymouth and Torbay, in particular some engagement on proposals to extend Torbay provided the following to featured in the Talking those representing more marginalised and hard their Beacon site (out of town) and move capture feedback from patients Newspaper who have a to reach communities. some services from Blackmore (in town of the practice: listening of over 80 people For more information, please email centre) to Sidmouth community hospital with visual impairments We will be facilitating a discussion regarding (very close to Blackmore) with the longer • We adapted the survey [email protected] • The survey link was shared your awareness and effectiveness of the ‘Think term aim of closing the Blackmore site. that was previously created in newsletters and on 111 First’ marketing materials and experience in by the practice by adding or call 0800 520 0640 social media pages such as practice, before collating responses in a report The practice has been exploring options a demographic section U3A newsletter with 460 to inform and improve the service. within the town for a number of years, and comprised of 7 questions. members are hoping for funding from NHS England to This was to ensure we support any work that they do to change the could evidence that we had • We held a Zoom meeting sites, but this is still in development. allowed those who fell into for those wishing to ask the protected characteristics additional questions or The practice had already put together a category or were likely to be share further feedback, survey and gathered feedback from over most affected by the changes despite interest we had no co 1000 patients, however after discussions with to have their say our mm y u attendees at the meeting p their Patient Participation Group they l n Want to keep up e i t

• The engagement ran from y decided to run further engagement work to • We made a number of social H 22 September to 31 October to date with us? ensure everyone is given the opportunity to media posts, and posted on where we targeted groups have their say. Facebook groups: What’s Follow our teams and organisations based in On In Sidmouth!, Sidmouth the Sidmouth area. Groups on Facebook and Targeted engagement work was designed & Community, were invited to share the to assess the impact on specific groups of Amazing Sidmouth, NHS England want to hear from you Twitter: survey with their members people: Sidmouth Community, and encourage them to for their proposed set of performance Devon In Sight, Sidmouth complete the survey online, Herald News, Sidmouth measures for A&E • Elderly we also offered to attend Community for the people, • People without access to a car digital meetings to run NHS England want to hear what patients, clinicians and Sidmouth Town Community Devon • People who live within walking distance over the survey and gather the public think about the proposed set of indicators for of Blackmore and those who used it feedback from focus groups • We designed an article Urgent Care. They are seeking views on the

regularly that was published in the recommendations made within their new report from • We contacted approximately • People who are both digitally enabled Sidmouth Herald and onto anyone with an interest including patients, their 70 groups that we had Plymouth and those not digitally enabled their website promoting the representatives, members of the public and NHS staff and identified in the area via both engagement activity taking • Protected characteristics groups email and telephone organisations, which will provide valuable further insight place and evidence to inform final recommendations, • 162 paper surveys were implementation and operational guidance. Torbay requested by groups and Work was undertaken by our Click here Report coming soon! posted out along with free- engagement Team and local to read the report and share your views. return envelopes Healthwatch Champion, with help from our communications team. Your And heard e fr ’v o e m

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Views Reviews 2 Healthwatch in Devon, Plymouth and Torbay is the independent health and 2 le social care champion. We listen to what people like about services and what 1 peop could be improved and help them to find the information they need. We are Hospital building a network of partnerships to reach out into the communities to get a Community broader range of views and escalate concerns. We encourage services to make Based positive changes and to involve people in decisions that affect them. After having a baby who needed This is what we heard between Number of complaints/concerns: 51 Neonatal cae, I was given much needed Information sent beforehand was easy to emotional support on the unit after understand and follow guidance. 1st October to 31st December 20 Number of escalations: 29 of which 7 were being discharged from the maternity Appointment was on time and efficiently raised by our Healthwatch Champions unit. Whilst I felt the consultatnt lacked carried out. Especially, welcome to know the personable approach and acted in a result straight away. Only downside is car 91 people Number of Provider response to feedback: 5 rather clinical way only seeing me 5 days park costs are excessive. afterbaby was born and admitted the used our website Healthwatch Champion referrals: 8 ladies on the ward were warm, caring and feedback form to have compassionate. Something perhaps the their say on local health consultatnt could rememeber when GP and care services 95 different speaking to vulnerable, emotional, services hormonal women so soon after birth! were commented on from Improved telephone response system Top service commented on medical centres, to hospital given the queues during COVID. wards as well as mental Mental Health Computer access also good. 61% of comments were about health services. primary care services. Of this 61%, over 91% were comments At the initial assessment my child was told Dentists about access to a Dentist (non- Average service rating in how lucky she was the be receiving help hospital) and GP services. and it would be withdrawn if she didn’t Devon, Plymouth & Torbay communicate her worries. She has tried a We signposted people 54 times, most lot of self help, she saw her counsellor Not happy with the £25 extra charge for of which were about dental access. twice, no plan or diagnosis was put in PPE. Surgery is now a BUPA service not place. I was told I would be contacted in 2 Oasis. weeks time, 4 months on, there was no contact. Recently, she was in crisis, and Top services commented on despite many emails, there was no reply from the service I had to arrange a private GP’s consultation (that I cannot afford) in able 91 people to get her help. She has now been have Community discharged by her key worker. I’m reviewed Based confused and so is she! services on our website Pharmacies * Mental *91 reviews were made in total. There were not enough Please note: HW Devon’s online feedback centre was launched more Health Social media reviews for Emergency Care and Residential Care to recently than Torbay and Plymouth’s, so some wider-Devon data may Opticians users saw our give a fair picture of an average rating. be currently limited. Public feedback analysis and review moderation is posts over 0 5 10 15 20 conducted by trained Healthwatch staff in accordance with GDPR data 320,000 times Plymouth Torbay Top themes commented on protection laws. Any specific feedback, service ratings or comments included are taken verbatim from the public and are NOT the view of Devon (figures low due to new feedback review system) Torbay: Treatment followed by Staff Healthwatch. Plymouth: Staff followed by Administration 25 26

Unpaid carers in Devon r com ou m y u lp n Representing e i Where we t H y spoke up about asked to share concerns from Your Voice the public feedback on care #BecauseWeAllCare

From October 1st-December 31st 2020, Healthwatch in Devon, Plymouth and Torbay staff and/or LOCAL MEETINGS Together with CQC as part of our Because We All volunteers attended 120 meetings around a variety • Devon Joint Engagement forum Care campaign, we are asking carers to tell us about of health and social care topics, including... • University Hospitals Plymouth NHS the care their loved ones receive, positive or Trust Safety and Quality commitee negative across care homes, GP services, hospitals STRATEGIC MEETINGS • Torbay Adult Social Care improvement on in their own home. • Health and Wellbeing Board board • NHS England local dental • Local Health and Adult Social Care Unpaid carers have played a greater role than ever before in supporting people with their care needs network Overview and Scrutiny throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to the direct support they provide, carers play a vital role in sharing feedback about their care experiences. • Devon and Torbay Safeguarding • Devon Digital Accelerator Board Adults Partnership Research undertaken by CQC and Healthwatch England as part of our Because We All Care campaign has • Torbay Mental Health Network shown that unpaid carers are: • Each of the Local Outbreak • Public Stakeholder Engagement Boards for Devon, Network • more likely than the general population to provide Plymouth and Torbay – feedback on health and social care experiences on supported by local COVID-19 • Plymouth Child Death Oversite Panel We are calling on carers to share behalf of loved ones, with 67% reporting they give Health Protection Boards their experiences to help improve positive feedback on care. support after a year which has seen • NHS England Citizens & Clinical • 58% of carers said they will be more likely to provide enormous challenges for all those Senate Assembly positive feedback on care after the coronavirus working in the health and social pandemic. • NHS Devon Clinical These are just a few examples of care sector, those using services where we represent your voice Commissioning Group Primary and their loved ones. • carers are significantly more likely to have taken and share your views to influence Care Commissioning Comitee action to improve health and social care (71%) the way local services are run. We compared to the rest of the population (44%). • Care Quality Commission also join these meetings to find Strategic Meeting out the latest health and social care service changes and local • Public Health Flu Planning & information to share with you. Oversight Group Tell us your views Whether it’s about access to services, your experience of care or In the last quarter, we were also contacted by the media on four your follow up treatment, we want to hear from you. separate occasions about your feedback, asking to give our insight on: • Our NHS 111 Engagement Work Visit your local Healthwatch website • COVID Outbreak at North Devon Hospital or call 0800 520 0640 • Waiting times for operations Devon | Plymouth | Torbay • Healthwatch in Devon, Plymouth and Torbay Shielding Report Changes to healthcare near you

Find out what changes have been made from Urgent Care Hospitals your feedback across Devon Think 111 First Latest updates from NDHT and RD&E a stage closer to formally joining ‘Contacting 111 first will get you the right your Local Authority: treatment more quickly’, says Devon together doctor introducing new service. Devon Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust East Devon Exeter Read more (NDHT) and the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS North Devon Foundation Trust (RD&E) have received the 4 Plymouth South Hams Torbay go-ahead from NHS England and NHS Appeal from the trust to Improvement (NHSEI) to continue working continue attending any 4 Torridge Somerset on plans to formally join together. scheduled appointments Community you have. You must wear a Read more face covering Updates From Livewell Southwest Trust welcomes new interns from Project SEARCH NHS approves proposals Livewell Southwest and Plymouth City to modernise health and Council are working together again to open Parents of children aged care services in a new care facility for people who are ready 5–12 with anxiety are to leave hospital but need extra care support invited to join a Devon Teignmouth and Dawlish before they can get home during the second based study Read more... wave of the COVID pandemic. Read more

...and see our report on the outcomes of the Livewell Southwest launch Perinatal Peer formal public consultation on page 20. Support Group in December. Read more ‘Concerning’ rise in patient assaults on Children and young people in Plymouth are ambulance staff Devon set to benefit from two new dedicated websites which will provide topical health Build confidence with Reassurance from the trust messages and advice via interactive and hospital video that many of their hospital creative tools. Read more consultations in Devon, appointments are Dentists Plymouth and Torbay continuing Dental Practice RD&E Goes Live with ‘Game Changing’ Transformation COVID-19 Update Programme Dental practices will be allowed to remain Mental Health Patient Recruitment Centre open in England during the third national Exeter at RD&E opens lockdown. The Moorings @ Devon Community Phlebotomy They will need fully compliant PPE, to remains open has moved to the Future Dartmouth Health and exercise social distancing measures and The Moorings has extended its opening Inn hotel Wellbeing Centre plans apply appropriate cross-infection control. approved hours to include Saturdays from 12pm- Minor Injuries at Nuffield Speak to a The difficulty in sourcing PPE of the highest midnight. returns to Derriford New app connects quality means there may be a delay before Healthwatch The Moorings @ Devon (Exeter, Torquay and Hospital multiple sclerosis patients your dental practice can fully reopen while with trusted advice Champion on the range of treatments on offer might be ) continue to offer mental health Fertility Services contract 0800 520 0640 limited. Read more support despite the current COVID-19 returns to the Trust restrictions. Read more 29 30

Changes to healthcare Want to keep up Sign up to the with local health e-bulletin Notice Board and social care from your local news? Healthwatch! DEVON Want to cotribute TORBAY to the latest Our NEW websites consultations? PLYMOUTH have been launched!

We’re excited to share our new websites with you! Our new sites make it even easier for you to share your experiences of local health and social care services with us. Meet our new project manager Giving feedback takes moments but the effects could last a lifetime. ‘I am Emma Richards, the new Project Manager for Healthwatch in Devon, Plymouth Click to find your new local Healthwatch website: and Torbay. I joined the team in November 2020, at a critical time for healthcare. Over the last year, the COVID pandemic has changed many lives. It has consequently changed how we work within Healthwatch. I believe this brings an opportunity for DEVON | PLYMOUTH | TORBAY Healthwatch to promote the patient voice in a way that will help improve local people’s experience of health and social care. Healthwatch is adapting to an ever changing climate and responds to needs as they occur. My role involves working with the Healthwatch partners to deliver Citizens Advice Devon activities alongside them. I believe I can bring a proactive approach to the team - I have a background within Citizens Advice, the Department of Work and Pensions and I also ran my own Pharmacy for a number of years. I look forward to working on our Farewells & warm welcomes to projects and ensuring patients’ voices shape the way healthcare is delivered. ‘ volunteers old & new Barbara

Two long standing Healthwatch Plymouth volunteers are stepping back from their roles. We would like to thank them for their hard work and contribution over the years. Barbara Howden - Data input / Enter and View volunteer Justin Robbins - Enter & View Volunteer and longtime Plymouth steering group member Justin Jocelyn A very warm welcome to our new volunteers: Digital Health Devon is a local project Jocelyn Hewitt - who has recently retired from a long career in the NHS and has now we support which offers free guidance moved to East Devon to start the next chapter. Jocelyn already offered her services to showing people how they can use the help with the Teignmouth consultation internet to access local healthcare resources. Beckie Pine - who is based in Ivybridge Devon, and is an active local volunteer including with our partners Citizens Advice Good at using online services already? Maybe you can help! Digital Health Devon are looking for volunteers! If you’re interested in gaining experience, making friends and If you’re interested, please visit the learning new skills, contact us about our volunteer opportunities! Beckie contact us page on their site: new rn sk a i Email [email protected] e ll L s

Watch our video on volunteering with Healthwatch Visit their website 31 Advice 32 Dental Access If you think you need urgent dental treatment: E-news round up • call your dentist • visit accesshealthanddental.co.uk/access-dental/ in Devon emergency-dental-treatment if you do not have a dentist The COVID-19 vaccine is free of charge The state of children’s mental health Access to NHS Dentists • use the NHS 111 online service if you cannot with the NHS services 2020/21 contact your dentist. You should only call 111 if in Devon: what to expect you’re unable to get help online. They will never ask for: The Children’s Commissioner for England has published - Your bank account or card details her fourth annual report on the state of children’s mental health services in England. The analysis NHS 111 will offer triage, advice and possibly a referral - Your pin or banking password to urgent dental care. The likelihood of being referred examines the progress that has been made over the Difficulties with access to dental care has been a for urgent treatment appears to vary and is determined - Any copies of your personal documents to prove past five years as well as looking at the impact the Covid crisis has had on children’s mental health. growing problem. However, now this has become a by a number of factors including the severity of your your identity such as your passport, driving license, bills Read more critical issue because coronavirus has meant dental need. If you are referred, depending on your location, or pay slips. practices must implement new measures to keep staff you may need to travel some distance to reach an New codeword scheme launched to and patients safe. urgent dental centre. Find the full advice here. The vaccines approved for use in the UK have met strict standards of safety, quality and effectiveness set out by help combat domestic abuse These measures prevent dentists from treating the If you have a life-threatening the independent Medicines and Healthcare products Victims of domestic abuse can now access support from same number of patients each day. During the height emergency, call 999. Regulatory Agency (MHRA). pharmacies across the country through the new Home of the pandemic, routine dental care was put on hold Office ‘Ask for ANI’ scheme. ‘ANI’ stands for Action and this has meant that there is now an increased So far, thousands of people have been given a COVID-19 Needed Immediately. If you ugently need to see a dentist out of hours need for the services. Both of these factors alone are vaccine and reports of serious side effects, such as If a pharmacy has the ‘Ask for ANI’ logo displayed, it leading to problems with access for patients. allergic reactions, have been very rare. No long-term • call your dentist: their voicemail may advise where means they’re ready to help. Anyone who is complications have been reported. experiencing domestic abuse & needs immediate help to get out-of-hours treatment Here at Healthwatch, we hear daily from people can ask for ‘ANI’ & the pharmacy will offer a private • visit accesshealthanddental.co.uk/access-dental/ trying to find treatment, or even just to register with a The NHS will contact you when it’s your turn to have the space, provide a phone & ask if you need support from urgent-out-hours-service if you do not have a the police or other domestic abuse support services. local dentist. Please see our signposting advice below coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination. Find out more dentist for more information. • use NHS 111 to find an out-of-hours dental service Thousands more coronavirus jabs to be Do you want to help your community near you. NHS 111 can also offer self-care advice. given every week in Devon as two during the COVID-19 pandemic? Advice if you need help Access Dental cannot help with: landmark venues become NHS NHS Volunteer Responders are looking for various The Dental Access Centre provides dental care Vaccination Centres volunteer roles, including check-in and chat, shopping • Attention to missing fillings and volunteers to help assist the delivery of the vaccine for those in pain and who cannot access dental Two landmark venues in Devon opened as NHS treatment, who do not have a regular dentist or who • Loose crowns in the UK. Find out more • Dentures or other minor matters Vaccination Centres on 26th January, ready to vaccinate are not under a current course of treatment with a tens of thousands of local people in coming weeks. If General Dental Practitioner. The service is provided by you’ve had the COVID-19 vaccine, it’s vital that you Find support during lockdown 3.0 from Livewell Southwest. You should use NHS 111 for these issues. Please also continue to follow government guidance. Read more your local council note that your GP will not be able to offer emergency or Devon County Council It may be difficult to find a practice that is accepting out-of-hours dental care. There are four ways local people can help new patients and you may need to search outside of the NHS vaccinate as many people as Plymouth City Council How much will I be charged? your immediate locality. There is no list we can share possible that includes dental practices accepting new NHS Torbay Council Stay at home patients as the situation changes regularly. See understanding NHS dental charges. Get vaccinated when it’s your turn Find the latest health and social care To find a dentist accepting NHS Patients please When to go to hospital Follow government advice e.g. Hands - Face - Space news on your local Healthwatch contact Access Dental on 0333 006 3300, Choose the right service for your needs, such as 111 website: email [email protected] or visit Only go to A&E in serious circumstances, such as: accesshealthanddental.co.uk/access-dental Devon | Plymouth | Torbay • severe pain Specialist Befrienders required for mental health support NHS England can also advise you on how to access, • heavy bleeding Subscribe to our weekly e-bulletins: give feedback or make a complaint about the services • injuries to the face, mouth, or teeth Torbay Community Helpline have put out an urgent it commissions and this includes dentists. Contact • If you’re not sure whether you should go to A&E, appeal for specialist befrienders as numbers of callers Devon | Plymouth | Torbay the NHS England Customer Contact Centre by calling contact NHS 111, who will be able to advise you. with mental health issues continues to rise. Read more 0300 311 22 33. Find out when to dial 999. 10 Devon Find your local Healthwatch Calling all

Community Share your story Does your group Torbay Team: meet regularly or Groups! [email protected] play an active role in Devon Team: healthwatchtorbay.org.uk the community [email protected] @HWTorbay healthwatchdevon.co.uk @HealthwatchTorbay @HwDevon Would your members be open to talk @healthwatchdevon about their health and social care experiecnes confidentially?

Is your group keen to play an active role in shaping local health Plymouth Team: and social care? [email protected] To be updated healthwatchplymouth.co.uk @HealthwatchPlym @HealthwatchPlymouth Healthwatch in Devon, Plymouth & Torbay are your independent consumer champions for health & social care. We are looking for community groups to join our vital ‘Healthwatch Assist network’.

This network builds links with communities to gather & share information about the healthcare services you use, which is then Join the hundreds of people in your community who share fec back to you & to the key healthcare decisiion-makers their story with Healthwatch in Devon, Plymouth and Torbay. who can improve local services. No matter how big or small the issue, we want to hear about it. Together we can help make care better for everyone.

For more information on joining please get in touch Call us on 0800 520 0640, or get in touch with your local with Healthwatch on 0800 520 0640 or email team via the details above. [email protected]