Travelling For Health And Care Services Engagement Report Author: Nicky Ainscough - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you would like help translating this information into another language, or you would like this information in Braille, large print or audio format, please get in touch with us. Call: 01942 482711 or Email: [email protected] Contents Section Page Section 1: Introduction, background and overview 2 Section 2 Results of the survey 5 Section 3: Face to face and other engagement activities 20 Section 4: Patient stories 23 Section 5: Next steps 26 Page 1 Section 1: Introduction, background and overview - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Page- - - -2 Introduction In February 2020 we launched an engagement project to talk to local people about travelling for health and care services. The issue of travel and transport is something we recognised comes up when we are talking to people about how we can improve services and so we wanted to explore it in more detail. As we look to make it easier for people to access health and care services over the next few years we wanted to find out how people usually travel across the Borough. We also wanted to understand some of the common issues that people experience and how that can impact on how they access the health and care services they need. Through this engagement project we aimed to find out: • The usual method of transport that people use; • The different areas/places people travel to and from; • The general experiences people have had travelling for health and care services; • If people have experienced difficulties when travelling for healthcare and if they require support with getting to appointments; • What is most important to people when travelling for health and care services; • If there are any individuals or groups who experience barriers when travelling. Some of our activities were cut short in March 2020 to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, using a mixture of online, face-to-face engagement and a survey we had over 558 contacts. Thank you to everyone who took the time to speak to us or complete a survey. Page 3 How did we engage with people We produced a survey that was available online and we had conversations with some groups and individuals to talk about their experiences of travelling for health and care services. Online activities: Face-to-face activities: • We posted regularly about the survey on our • We met with our Wigan Borough Engagement social media channels; Group; • We included information about this engagement • We held a session at Pemberton Surgery; work in local newsletters, such as our Shape Your • We attended a Tenant Roadshow in Shevington NHS community newsletter and the Health alongside our colleagues at Wigan Council to talk Champions newsletter; to people and give out the survey. We also took • We included this on our internal newsletters to the opportunity to visit a Bingo Group that was our 60 GP practices and staff; meeting nearby. • We created a page on our website with more • We met with the Lowton and Golborne Traffic information about this work and a link to the Group; survey • We held a session at Orrell Book Cycle to talk to people and give out the survey; Unfortunately due to the COVID-19 our planned face- • We met with our Equality Reference Group to-face engagement activities in March 2020 didn’t go • We visited the following Voluntary Community ahead as planned. Here is what we were able to do in Sector groups: February 2020. – Think Ahead Stroke; – U3A Relaxation and Meditation Group at Leigh Miners; 240 COMPLETED 318 FACE-TO- – Platt Bridge Community Zone. SURVEYS FACE CONTACTS Page 4 Section 2: Results of the survey - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Page- - - 5- Which part of the Borough do you live in? We asked people to tell us what area of the Borough they live in. 22.1% of A further 2.5% responses came from responses from people living in one of the neighbouring Wigan North areas outside of Wigan Borough, e.g. Billinge, Garswood, Upholland, St Helens & Westhoughton. 20% of responses from 20% of responses Wigan Central from Ince, Hindley, Abram, Platt 7.1% of responses from Bridge Tyldesley, Atherton, Boothstown, Astley 7.5% of responses from South Wigan & Ashton North 10% of responses from Golborne, Ashton & 10.8% of Lowton responses from Leigh Page 6 How do you normally travel? Their first method of transport Most people said they normally travel by car and the second most popular method of transport was the bus. CAR BUS TAXI 75.1% travel 17.8% travel 3.3% walk 2.5%travel 0.8%travel 0.4% cycle by car by bus by taxi by train The second method of transport We asked people to then tell us how they would choose to travel if their preferred method of transport wasn’t available. Some people commented that this would really depend on where they needed to go. BUS TAXI CAR TRANSPORT SERVICE 45.4% travel 26.5% travel 7.6% travel 3.4% travel 2.1% travel by 0.4% cycle 12.6% walk by bus by taxi by car by train transport service Page 7 What kind of car do you have? For those who said they have a car, 61% said it was petrol. 36.9% said the car was diesel. Only 1.6% said they have a hybrid car or 0.5% who said their car is electric. How far do you travel to work and how? 37.5% of people said this question wasn’t relevant to them. For those that the question was relevant to, a majority said they travelled between 3 – 10 miles. 7.1% travel 44.9% travel 19.4% travel less than 1 mile between 3 – 10 miles 15+ miles ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 23.5% travel 5.1% travel between 1 – 3 miles between 11 – 15 miles For those in employment, how many days a week they travel into work? When asked how often they travel to and • 7.1% travel 1 day a week • 40.8% travel 5 days a week from work in a normal week, the most • 6.1% travel 2 days a week • 5.1% travel 6 days a week popular answer was 5 days. • 19.4% travel 3 days a week • 3.1% travel 7 days a week • 18.4% travel 4 days a week Page 8 Have you travelled to any of these places in the last 12 months? We asked people if they had travelled to some well known locations within the last 12 months. The most popular answers were our local town centres of Wigan and Leigh. 10% of people had only travelled to one of these places in the last 12 months and in all these cases it was either Wigan or Leigh Town Centre. A small number 1.6% said they hadn’t been to any of these places in the last 12 months. 83.3% 65% 54.6% Travelled to Travelled to Travelled to Wigan Town Centre Leigh Town Centre Manchester City Centre 40% 37.9% 32.9% Travelled to Travelled to the Travelled to Southport Trafford Centre Liverpool City Centre 17.1% 17.1% 10.4% Travelled to Travelled to Travelled to London Preston Bury Page 9 Do you experience any difficulties when it comes to travelling? 20% of respondents said they don’t experience any difficulties when it comes to travelling. When people said that they do experience difficulties when it comes to travelling, we have themed up the answers. Here are the top 3 in order of popularity. Issues Unreliability of 2 3 Issues with 1 accessing public transport traffic transport Including trains or congestion Including lack of buses being late or Including the amount disabled seating, lack cancelled or of traffic on the road of level access, lifts overcrowded services and roadworks out of order Some people also mentioned parking in response to this question. This was being concerned with a lack of parking, particularly disabled spaces, at their destination or concern about the expense of parking. A smaller number of people mentioned physical and mental health issues that impact on travelling. For example having a condition that means they can’t walk long or stand for long period of time. Some people also mentioned that they can find travelling difficult due to anxiety or panic attacks. Who supports you to get to and from health services? The majority of people, 60.4% did not require support to get to and from health services. Those who did need help were most often supported by a family member of carer. Page 10 The last time you used a health or care service, where did you have to go? Most people said they had travelled somewhere within Wigan Borough the last time they had needed a health or care service. The top 3 in order of popularity: 1 2 Royal Albert 3 Leigh Edward Infirmary or GP practice Infirmary, Thomas Including Linacre Emergency Department Centre A small number of people, 7%, said that they had travelled outside of the Borough. The following places were listed: • Aintree • St Helens Hospital • Burnley General Hospital • Ormskirk • Chorley Hospital • Salford Royal Foundation NHS Trust • Christies • Walton • Kendal • Wythenshawe • Manchester (including Manchester Royal Infirmary) • Walkden Page 11 How difficult was it to get there? Difficult Okay Easy 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1.7% 0.9% 3.8% 3.4% 4.7% 15.7% 6.8% 6.8% 13.6% 7.7% 34.5% Where people said they had travelled somewhere within Wigan Borough, most people rated the journey as okay to easy.