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Newsletter - November 2024

Welcome to our November newsletter

This month our newsletter includes:

Directors Update
Latest news and updates
Healthwatch - What we have heard about health and care services in East Sussex

Directors Update

As we come to the end of 2024, I would like to take this opportunity to thank our incredible volunteers for all their hard work this year.

The diverse array of activities they have been involved in over the last 12 months have been central to our Healthwatch East Sussex programme.

Projects such as Enter and View visits to care homes, conducting Mystery Shopping of websites, and representing us at meetings within the local health and care sector their work have been invaluable in helping communities across East Sussex have their say on health and social care. So thank for all your input and support.

You can find out more about the range of activities they have been involved in on our website and through our reports here: https://healthwatcheastsussex.co.uk/reports/

If you would like to find out more about volunteering with Healthwatch please do get in touch via 0333 101 4007, or email volunteer@escv.org.uk.

Veronica Kirwan
Executive Director
East Sussex Community Voice delivering Healthwatch in East Sussex

Latest news and updates

POLL CLOSES SOON: Tell Healthwatch your experiences of Adult Social Care Services

Healthwatch in Sussex routinely carries out short surveys to gather the views of local people about health and social care services.

This month we would like to hear from people who have had experience with Adult Social Care in the last 12 months, or from their relatives, carers or friends, about their experience.

Adult Social Care covers a wide range of activities that help people who are older or living with disability or physical or mental illness to live independently and stay well and safe.

Our poll will only take a few minutes to complete, and your personal data is protected and treated securely.

The poll closes at midnight on Friday 29th November 2024.

To complete the poll click the button below:

Click here to complete our poll on Adult Social Care services

Keep warm and well in East Sussex - Warm Home Check Service

The Warm Home Check service is free for East Sussex residents and offers telephone advice for anyone struggling to keep warm at home.

It also provides eligible households with a holistic home energy efficiency assessment.

This can include:

Advice on how best to keep your home warm and reduce energy costs.
Advice on financial support available to help with heating costs.
Small home improvement measures such as pipe insulation, draught-proofing or boiler service.

Find out more here:

Warm Home Check Service - East Sussex

Seasonal vaccinations – COVID-19, flu and RSV

Anyone eligible for the vaccinations can now book via the NHS website, by downloading the NHS App, or by calling 119 for free if they cannot get online.

For the first time, the NHS is also offering vaccines for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a common cause of coughs and colds which can be dangerous to older people and young children. The jab is available to those aged 75 to 79 and is being offered to pregnant women from 28 weeks, to protect their child.

Women should speak to their maternity service about receiving their vaccine from 28 weeks to at any point up to birth. Alternatively, pregnant women can get vaccinated by request at their local GP practice, while older adults will be invited by their local GP practice.

Seasonal Vaccinations - NHS Sussex

South East Clinical Senate Report: Patient Access to Healthcare Records

In our April newsletter we shared a survey from the South East Clinical Senate who were exploring patients access to healthcare records, looking at current evidence and the status of patient access across the South East.

The report from this research has now been published and is intended to increase awareness and understanding of:

Patient access to healthcare records from a digital perspective,
The barriers and facilitators to improved access,
What is achievable now and what may be achievable in the future,
And critically what patients want from access to their healthcare records.

Read the report online via the button below:

South East Clinical Senate Report: Patient Access to Healthcare Records

Your Experiences of Hospital Outpatient Appointment Letters

In October 2024, Healthwatch in Sussex sought experiences of hospital outpatient appointment letters, which are intended to give you clear information about your appointment and what to expect when you attend.

330 people from across Sussex shared their views with us.

What we heard

• Overall, respondents felt ‘very satisfied’ (42%) or ‘satisfied’ (25%) with the communication they received regarding their most recent outpatient appointment. 12% felt ‘dissatisfied’ and 8% felt ‘very dissatisfied’.

• Respondents were most dissatisfied with were information about who to contact with a query about your appointment (14%) and letter/ communication arriving sufficiently ahead of your scheduled appointment (13%).

• Of those who needed to contact the hospital with a question about their appointment,10% could not get to speak to anyone and 11% spoke to someone but their question was not answered to their satisfaction. 24% spoke to someone and felt their question was answered to their satisfaction.

• 79% of respondents said they were not given any information about choosing which provider (i.e. what hospital or service) they wanted to receive care from.

To find out what respondents told us they would like to see and our next steps, read the full report by clicking the button below:

Your Experiences of Hospital Outpatient Appointment Letters

World Diabetes Day 2024

The 14^th November was World Diabetes Day, an opportunity to spread the word, raise awareness and share stories and experience of diabetes globally.

The theme for World Diabetes Day 2024-26 is Diabetes and well-being.

For this year’s World Diabetes Day a member of the Healthwatch East Sussex Team shared their experience of being a Type 1 Diabetic. You can read their story here.

To find about more about world diabetes day click the button below.

Let's talk about well-being for a better diabetes life

'Change NHS' initiative launched to inform 10 Year Plan

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has recently launched its 10-Year Health Plan engagement exercise, Change NHS.

This consultation aims to co-develop the 10-Year Health Plan with the public, patients, and staff.

Everyone in England is invited to share their ideas and it doesn’t matter whether you have a lot or a little to say. Your views, experiences and ideas can help shape a new 10 Year plan to improve the NHS.

If you are a member of the public, a patient, carer or someone who works in health and care in England, share your views and experiences by clicking the button below:

Contribute your views to 'Change NHS'

Carers Rights Day 2024

Carers Rights Day was held earlier this month, with the theme 'Recognising Your Rights'.

Every day, 12,000 people become unpaid carers, supporting a partner, family member, or friend - often without realizing they are carers or understanding their legal rights.

Carers Rights Day empowers carers by raising awareness about the rights they are entitled to and the support available. If you or someone you know is an unpaid carer there’s support available including:

Ask your GP practice to identify you as a carer on your patient record.
Request a free flu jab – if you’re the main carer for an older or disabled person who may be put at risk if you became ill, or if you are in receipt of Carer’s Allowance.
Request a carers assessment if you’re over 18 and provide regular unpaid care for someone.

To learn more about your rights as a carer, visit:

Recognising your rights - Carers UK

You Said - We Did

We regularly review the experiences you told us through public events, surveys, Feedback Centre and Information & Signposting enquiries.

Healthwatch uses your feedback with health and care decision-makers to seek a positive difference, and this document sets out the issues you raised and any changes you have helped us to deliver during October 2024.

You Said:

We heard from an individual who was shocked to receive a large bill for home care, arranged when they were discharged from hospital, as no costs had been fully discussed with them.

We Did:

We provided information on how to raise their complaint with ESCC ASC complaints and feedback team, and shared contact details for Care for the Carers, who can offer support and advice to carers in East Sussex.

You Said:

We heard from a patient who paid privately for a white filling at the dentist, but after the treatment became concerned the filling may not have been necessary.

We Did:

We advised the enquirer they could request a copy of the dental practice’s complaints policy if they wish to complain. We also shared a copy of the HWES dentistry guide which sets out patient rights and to whom concerns may be raised.

You Said:

We heard from an individual concerned that the current wait time for a hearing test was identified as 60 weeks. They described the impact this delay is having on their ability to live a normal life.

We Did:

We shared information on the right to choose, so they can explore if other providers have shorter wait times and they can be referred to them instead and offered complaints advice in case they wished to make a formal complaint.

You Said:

Several individuals contacted us due to the shift to digital access of GP services. Their concerns included inequality to access, barriers to face to face appointments and worries over data protection and patient confidentiality.

We Did:

We informed the individuals about modern general practice which outlines the national drive towards GPs optimising contact channels and provided information on how to share feedback on services with the Sussex ICB and CQC.

‘You Said, We Did’ – October 2024

Tell Us Your Experiences
Please tell us your experiences of local health and care services via our Feedback Centre and let us know how this has been for you.

We want to hear if it has been good, bad or indifferent.

Help and support with Health and Care
If you need help or support related to health or care, then please contact our Information & Signposting Service via

Tel: 0333 101 4007
Email: enquiries@healthwatcheastsussex.co.uk

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