Experiences of health and social care in Southwark during the COVID-19 pandemic
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Healthwatch Southwark collected 100 people's views about finding and accessing information and services during the coronavirus pandemic using a survey.
The report found that the majority of people had some sort of vulnerability to the virus. The most common source of information about coronavirus was NHS or Government (gov.uk) websites, used by three quarters of the sample. Respondents rated the ease in which they could find clear information about different topics. ‘How to protect myself and others from coronavirus’ was rated as the easiest topic to find clear information about, closely followed by topics around the symptoms of coronavirus – although not everyone agreed. Those who accessed NHS 111, stated mixed responses about the speed of access, misinformation; and being taken seriously. However, respondents valued being able to get through to their GP quickly, and the staff taking their symptoms seriously and treating them with kindness. There were mixed experiences about online and phone appointments.
Healthwatch Southwark suggested that they link up with other sources of data in the borough to compare to their own research. The want to share the findings with commissioners and health services and explore the impact of delayed and cancelled appointments.