How is Covid-19 impacting on people's access to and experience of health and social care services in Sheffield?
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Healthwatch Sheffield’s July 2020 Covid-19 briefing summarised emerging concerns about how the pandemic was affecting access to health and social care services. A prominent theme was the impact of isolation on vulnerable people. Healthwatch heard from individuals who felt unsupported during prolonged periods of isolation, including a person undergoing cancer treatment who reported having little contact from services after treatment was paused, and a care home resident who was experiencing significant loneliness due to visiting restrictions and infection control measures.
The report also highlighted concerns about support for people who were shielding. Some residents who had been advised to shield from the beginning of the pandemic reported delays in receiving welfare checks or offers of practical support. In some cases, people had been shielding for several months before receiving contact about help with food, medication or other essential needs, while others reported not having received support at all.
Healthwatch additionally explored the experiences of people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities following the publication of the Public Health England review into Covid-19 inequalities. Working with local partners, Healthwatch gathered personal accounts from residents about the impact of the pandemic and the changes they wanted to see to address health inequalities. This work formed part of wider efforts to ensure local experiences informed discussions about reducing disparities in health outcomes.
Other issues raised included continued confusion about how to access urgent dental care during the pandemic and concerns about the improper disposal of personal protective equipment in public spaces. Overall, the briefing identified isolation, delayed support, health inequalities and communication about changed service arrangements as key issues affecting local people during this stage of the Covid-19 response.