Focus on OX4

In February 2018, Healthwatch Oxfordshire spent two weeks in the OX4 area of Oxford to talk to people about their experience of using health and social care services.

This follows on from previous geographical snap shots, undertaken by Healthwatch Oxfordshire during 2017, in Witney and Bicester. This town focus supports Healthwatch Oxfordshire’s strategic aim of building a picture of how people access and experience health and social care across the county.

From numerous reports, we know that Oxford is a diverse city, with its population facing equally varied challenges when it comes to experiences of health, social care, deprivation and life expectancy (OCC 2018). Life expectancy is 9.7 years lower for men in the most deprived areas of Oxford than in the least deprived areas (PHE 2016; DCLG 2015).

To focus our work, rather than taking a ‘scatter gun’ approach, we were guided by the Oxfordshire Health Inequalities Commission Report (2016) to take a geographic look through the eyes of people living in particular areas of the city.

Whilst Healthwatch Oxfordshire sought to hear people’s comments on health and social care services as a whole, they focused their energies in particular areas in OX4; Greater Leys, Rose Hill, Littlemore and Temple Cowley (See Appendix 1 for population snapshot).

Healthwatch Oxfordshire used a mix of methods, including a ‘rapid appraisal’ approach, speaking to people on the streets, at bus stops, shopping centres and outside health services. They also attended a range of community groups, from food banks, to youth clubs, stay and play sessions, libraries and coffee mornings. They also attended the John Radcliffe (JR) and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre (NOC) Hospital sites (See Appendix 2 for details of the places we visited).

In all, over two weeks in January and February, Healthwatch Oxfordshire made face to face contact with over 450 people representing diverse backgrounds and age profiles. Individuals were able to share their experiences through talking directly to Healthwatch staff, by using their freepost ‘Tell Us’ forms at the time, or by completing a ‘service review’ on our website. We also spoke to individuals in more depth, at over 20 community groups we visited.

In total, thry collected 315 ‘Tell Us’ forms, in which people told thrm about their experiences both of specific services and broader health provision and pathways. This report highlights the themes that arose from comments made. Rose Hill ‘There are three churches here, but no doctor, so you have to pray’ (Comment from Littlemore resident).

Many of the issues raised have much in common with experiences we have heard in conversations with people across Oxfordshire. Some represent the challenges facing health and social care system as a whole, for example, GP waiting times, balancing demand and supply and problems with hospital parking. Some themes however, highlight particular issues faced by the people in the areas of Oxford we visited. It is worth noting that few comments relating to social care were forthcoming.

Many of these comments can be viewed on Healthwatch Oxfordshire’s newly-launched website and feedback centre. This gives the public a chance to comment directly via our website on specific health services across the county and is an exciting step forward. It provides another valuable tool giving Healthwatch Oxfordshire a richer insight into patient experiences across the county, in order to bring about change.