Different outcomes, different access to care
Download (PDF 631.77 KB)Summary of report content
Healthwatch Bucks, Oxfordshire, Reading, West Berkshire and Wokingham carried out a review of 21 reports published by the five local Healthwatch since 2018 that were relevant to the topic ‘addressing inequalities in health and care access and outcomes’, representing over 1200 people.
The review found that to ensure equality of access, better outcomes, and good experiences of health care and social care for all, services must be personalised to people’s individual needs. Each and every service must be able to communicate effectively and respectfully with everyone who needs to use it. Each and every service must be able to adapt its offer to meet the needs of all service users, so that the service is truly accessible to them - whatever their personal characteristics, including their sex, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation; whether they live with a disability; whether they have chosen to change their gender; their maternity status; their partnership status; and their religion or belief.
A call to action was made including urging all ICS member organisations to listen to patients, service users, families and unpaid carers and to improve care quality as a result.