Healthwatch Lewisham Intelligence Report - August 2019- February 2020
Download (PDF 1.26 MB)Summary of report content
Healthwatch Lewisham’s intelligence report highlights the key findings, impact and themes that emerged from the experiences Lewisham residents shared with them during the period, during the period August 2019 to February 2020.
The report outlines research that Healthwatch Lewisham have undertaken on GP extended access programmes, Enter and View visits to Oakfield Family Practice, Big Health Day and reading for wellbeing. The report sets out the main findings and any changes that providers have made as a result of their research.
The report also sets out the key themes from cases dealt with by the Independent Health Complaints Advocacy Service that Healthwatch Lewisham runs. These included difficulties with patient transport, challenging sectioning under the Mental Health Act, early discharge from hospital, quality of treatment at hospital/ poor aftercare, difficulties with NHS Continuing Healthcare and funding Issues with repeat prescription.
The final part of the report looks at common themes in the 487 individual pieces of feedback that Healthwatch Lewisham received during this period about local health and care services. These reviews encompassed 62 different services in Lewisham or surrounding boroughs. Just over half of all patient stories were positive and 26% were negative.
There were four main recurring issues in this feedback: Access to GP appointments; limited learning disability awareness amongst health professionals; waiting times within University Hospital Lewisham, and the lack of communication around hospital appointments.