Community Health Services Engagement

Healthwatch Tower Hamlets undertook research on patient outcomes for community health services. They spoke to 40 adults, eight young people aged 15 to 18 and eight families between February and March 2015 to understand what people wanted from community health services and what outcomes mattered most to them. 

Participants were generally positive about the care provided by community health professionals but identified recurring concerns about long waiting times, difficulties accessing services, poor communication between teams, inconsistent staffing and a lack of coordination between health and social care. Many valued having trusted professionals who understood their circumstances and stressed the importance of being treated with dignity, respect and compassion. 

Adults, parents and young people all emphasised the need for a more holistic approach that considered wider issues such as housing, social support, family circumstances, education, emotional wellbeing and carers' needs. Parents highlighted the need for greater support following diagnoses, better information and emotional support, while young people wanted clear communication, honest conversations about their care and greater understanding of the impact of health conditions on education and daily life.

The report concluded that good community health services should focus on person-centred care, strong communication, coordinated working between services, involvement of patients and families in decisions, and support for independence where appropriate. Key recommendations included improving communication between professionals and patients, providing clearer information about services, supporting carers, reducing waiting times, improving access to specialist support and ensuring care is tailored to the whole person rather than solely their medical condition.