News and reports

This has been scoped with our mental health group and we have contacted key stakeholders to obtain an update on local strategies and services. This will be moved forward to our 2021/22 work plan.

Since the occurrence of the coronavirus pandemic, GP services have been required to adapt and alter the way that services are delivered. As such, appointment methods, bookings and direct communication between practice and patient have been at the heart of crucial service changes.

A proportion of patients remain digitally excluded and are unable to engage or communicate with a member of staff via the telephone booking system, due to limited digital knowledge and internet access. Therefore, consider how digital exclusion and inaccessibility of telephone communications can be addressed to provide systematic inclusion.

Many people who provide unpaid care are unaware of their rights. Find out more about the help and support you are entitled to.

Healthwatch Stoke-on-Trent Advisory Board Public Agenda 13 October 2020 at 10 am to 11.15 am

Healthwatch Stoke-on-Trent Advisory Board Meeting Public Papers.

Following the global coronavirus outbreak in early 2020 there have been significant measures to obstruct and limit the infection of coronavirus, including a national lockdown and many forms of social distancing for a number of months. Consequently, the required measures have had a considerable impact on individual lifestyles through physical health wellbeing, psychosocial health and financial challenges.

We started to receive a high volume of feedback about blood tests from 6 July 2020. It was evident that people were experiencing difficulties in accessing blood tests and therefore we organised a call-out for feedback about the publics experience of blood tests during the coronavirus pandemic. This was promoted on our social media platforms from 21 July 2020 to 10 August 2020.

Healthwatch Stoke-on-Trent Public HAB Minutes 13 October 2020 at 10am via Zoom

A qualitative research design was formed to collect public feedback items. From 28 July 2020 to 14 August 2020 social media platforms and our website was utilised for a callout to residents of Stoke-on-Trent, for dental services experiences during the coronavirus pandemic

The virtual visit was designed to gain insight into the effectiveness of Shared Lives Stoke’s service delivery, with the aim of identifying what works well, not so well and what could be improved to enhance the quality of service delivery.

With more and more appointments happening online, we've put together some tips on how to get the most out of the virtual health and care appointments both for patients and health and care professionals.