Adults with care needs in Tower Hamlets
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Healthwatch Tower Hamlets engaged with more than 400 adults with care needs to understand their experiences of social care, healthcare and community support. The report found that many people valued their carers, home adaptations, community health services and local community centres, but often struggled to navigate the social care system. Many respondents described the care assessment process as complex, bureaucratic and difficult to understand, particularly for people with limited English or those not confident using digital services.
People receiving domiciliary care were generally positive about individual carers, but less positive about care agencies and social care services. Common concerns included insufficient care hours, inflexible care schedules, poor communication and difficulties obtaining support. Home adaptations and occupational therapy were viewed positively because they helped people remain independent, although long waits and challenging assessment processes were reported.
Experiences of healthcare services were mixed. Respondents praised the quality of treatment provided by GPs, hospitals and community health professionals, but highlighted problems with appointment booking, hospital transport, communication and discharge arrangements. Some felt they were discharged from hospital without adequate follow-up support, while others reported difficulties accessing community services and medical care at home.
A major theme throughout the report was the importance of integrated care. Healthwatch concluded that better coordination between GPs, hospitals, social care, community health services and voluntary organisations could help older people maintain independence, reduce loneliness and improve wellbeing. Key recommendations included developing integrated care clinics linked to GP practices, improving information and signposting, increasing support for unpaid carers, strengthening social prescribing and making services more person-centred and easier to access.