Briefing-experiences of local NHS services: what local people said about access, trust in services and their health and wellbeing

Healthwatch Coventry undertook outreach sessions in the City of Coventry Health Centre (a multi-use NHS building) and Central Library which reached 89 people from across the City. They asked people a number of questions about their feelings about and experiences of local health services. This report captures a snapshot in time of between January and March 2023.

• 55% had ‘some trust’ in the NHS
• 62% said accessing health service is getting harder
• 47% found it difficult or very difficult to access GP practice by phone
• 58% said it was difficult or very difficult to get a GP appointment
• 52% said cost of living impacted on access to NHS dentistry

Overall the report shows a mixed picture of how people experience their GP services and health care. Most people think access to services is getting harder. There are clear concerns about the time it takes to get an appointment with their GP through the phone system, and not always being able to have an appointment in a way that suits individual needs. Rising cost of living is impacting on people’s ability to purchase medications, but also impacting on dental health, both of which might create problems in the future.