Feedback Analysis - Quarter 3: 2020

Healthwatch Bradford and District analysed their feedback from local health service users between July and September 2020. They analysed 139 comments and enquiries received through feedback, surveys and follow-up work. Feedback levels were higher than during the same period in 2019, with the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic having a significant influence on the issues raised.

Two thirds of all feedback related to primary care services, with dental services and GP practices generating the highest number of comments. Dental access was the single most common topic raised. Comments were more than twice as likely to be negative as positive, and there was a substantial increase in requests for information, which accounted for around a third of all contacts compared with fewer than one in ten in previous years.

Most feedback came directly from service users, although carers, relatives and professionals also contributed. The majority of comments related to people aged 25 to 79, and three quarters concerned female service users. The ethnic profile of respondents broadly reflected the local population, with White British respondents accounting for around 64% of feedback. 

Covid-19 was a major theme during the quarter, accounting for around one in five comments. Alongside Covid-related issues, common concerns included access to NHS dentistry, GP services, maternity care, hospital services and mental health support. The report concluded that the pandemic had significantly affected how people accessed services and sought information, with dental access and primary care remaining key issues for local residents.