How residents view and use same day urgent care services- West Somerset
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Healthwatch Somerseet wanted to gather the views of people living in West Somerset about same day urgent care. Somerset NHS Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) asked them to carry out this work as part of a review into how urgent care is provided in Somerset. In July 2021, the Minor Injuries Unit (MIU) at Minehead ended its overnight service due to patient safety concerns, and in early March 2022, the overnight service was closed permanently.
Initial views shared indicated that there were public concerns about access to urgent and emergency care services more widely across the West Somerset area. This project aimed to explore this further, talking to people in West Somerset and gathering their views about same day urgent care. A particular focus of the project was to engage with more seldom heard groups. They ran a survey, spoke to people at groups and did interviews at care homes, speaking to 291 people altogether.
Not everyone was aware of the services that offered same day urgent care.
Most people had not seen any information about same day urgent care. People felt that information would be useful and identified ways of sharing it.
Feedback about experience of using same day urgent care services was mixed.
Transport was identified as an issue affecting use of same day urgent care. It was suggested that greater and more flexible use of community transport might help people access same day urgent care.
There was preference for same day urgent care for minor injury and illness to be provided close to home.
Some people said that they had used 999 or Accident and Emergency (A&E) because they had been unable to access other health care services.
Not everyone was aware of the 111 service, and others were not confident in it.
Most people were aware of what services to use in certain circumstances.