Health and care: where to go for what?

From December 2024 to March 2025, in collaboration with Sunderland City Council, Healthwatch Sunderland developed and launched a survey to gather insights into people's awareness of available adult social care services and how they seek the relevant information, advice, and guidance so that they can make informed choices and access the right support. 154 people completed the survey. 

Key findings

• One-third of survey respondents indicated that they need support, information and advice on how to maintain their independence in daily living.
• Most people, when seeking information on activities, groups, leisure and learning, typically turn to local voluntary and community sector groups.
• When seeking information on their health, most respondents would consult their GP or nurse. • When seeking information for care, there was almost an equal number of people who would contact the council/social services, search the internet or were unsure where to go. A
• Three in five stated they did not know how to access their health care records.
• Just over half stated they did not know where to find health related information or advice to maintain their well-being.
• Most people would seek up-to-date and accurate information about their health through their GP or nurse.
• Just over half of respondents (52%) found the information provided was presented in a way they could understand, either all or some of the time.
• Two in five did not know or were unsure how best to plan for the future.
• The main difficulties respondents faced when accessing information included accessing or navigating digital formats, understanding complex wording used or not knowing where to go