Health and care community survey 2019
Download (PDF 543.48 KB)Summary of report content
Healthwatch Isles of Scilly undertook a survey of all households on the Isles of Scilly in October 2019 to ask about their views of health and social care provision on the islands. They got a response rate of 21% (203 responses).
Most people felt that GP services at the Health Centre on the islands were good or excellent. People wanted more frequent physio and chiropractor appointments, a facility for video consultations for appointments on the mainland and someone who could undertake x-rays.
Most people felt that the services provided by the pharmacy were good or excellent. There were problems for people from the off islands ordering prescriptions.
Most people felt that the dental service on the islands was good or excellent. The main concerns were the telephone messaging service and the difficulty of getting an appointment.
There was a more mixed response about the optician’s service, with many islanders not aware that the service existed, and others waiting a very long time for an appointment.
Most people felt that the service provided by St Marys’ hospital was either good or excellent. Concerns included the amount of waiting time to be seen when there were no other people waiting, the lack of services on the off-islands and outpatient appointments being cancelled.
There was a mixed response about the community health services, with concerns about the physiotherapy service, where there are long waits for appointments and the appointments being more accessible for off-islanders.
Most people rated adult mental health on the islands as either good or excellent. Concerns included the lack of appointments for talking therapies.
Generally, people felt that adult social care on the islands was good or excellent. There were concerns that sometimes it is difficult to get equipment.
There were mixed responses about attending hospital as an outpatient and experience as an in-patient. There were concerns about the time of appointments not fitting in with flight times to the mainland and being discharged from hospital late at night.
Most people felt that maternity and emergency response services were excellent, and their experience of medical travel was positive.
A very high percentage of people rated their experience of services generally as good and excellent. All other services were also rated highly as good or excellent, except children and adolescent mental health, where 84% of ratings were satisfactory to poor. Generally, people’s experience of children’s services and social care was excellent.
The report includes responses from some of the service providers.