Coronavirus Survey – Interim Report

Healthwatch Liverpool undertook a survey of local people’s experienced during the pandemic. They received 436 responses from people living in a Liverpool postcode between 1 April and 12 May 2020.

The survey explores whether people had COVID-19, and if so whether they had been tested or sought medical advice.  People experienced long waits to speak to someone on NHS 111, but those who were hospitalised generally had a good experience of care.

Most people said that they found it easy to find clear and understandable information on how to keep safe during the pandemic. People who didn’t were more likely to have a pre-existing condition, be disabled or more vulnerable to COVID-19.

Seven out of ten respondents said that their mental health had been affected by the pandemic.  Isolation, anxiety about the pandemic and the change in routine were factors in negative impacts on mental health.

Just over half of respondents said that their healthcare for other conditions had been affected by the pandemic.  They experienced delayed or cancelled appointments and difficulty in accessing remote appointments.  The impact of not being able to access healthcare included worsening conditions and anxiety.  This section also explores people’s experience of remote appointments.

Those respondents who responded to the question about access to social care felt that it was negatively affected by the pandemic.  People whose relatives were in care homes couldn’t visit them or even speak to them, visits from carers stopped or were reduced and informal carers talked about the impact of caring for a disabled relative during lockdown, with limited or no support.

People also spoke about the activities that helped them cope.  Contact with friends and family was mentioned most often, with exercise and internet/social media the other top activities.