Covid 19: one year on, access to health and social care services, and the future

Healthwatch Lincolnshire designed a survey and invited the public to share their experiences of the Covid-19 pandemic and how it was affecting them, both in terms of accessing healthcare services and personally with their emotional and mental health needs.

The key features they found in the feedback are:

• 51% of people responding felt fine and were looking forward to returning to some level of normality, a further 22% said they felt ok and had developed new coping mechanisms making them more resilient for the ‘new normal’.
• 22% of people felt anxious about leaving the house, they also felt they would benefit from support with reintegrating back into society.
• There was a consensus that people wanted more access to face-to-face appointments where this was appropriate for GP and dental.
• It was noted that digital appointment access was not for everyone and as such the current model created a two-tier inequitable approach to accessing health and care.
• Overwhelmingly people found access to NHS prescriptions much easier and accessible than previously with 79% saying it was easier than before.
• 65% of respondents said the pandemic had negatively impacted their general wellbeing a little or a lot.

The report also contains recommendations about how services could be improved for the future based on what they have heard in the survey.