Including Communities: Engagement Report March 2022 to October 2023

This report from  Healthwatch Kingston shares findings from their engagement with Kingston residents from March 2022 to October 2023.  The team attended 28 health and wellbeing groups, speaking with 334 participants. Many of these were from vulnerable and seldom-heard communities, including refugees, asylum seekers, people with learning disabilities, and the homeless. They gathered feedback on experiences with NHS and social care services.

Key points from the feedback included:

• Issues with accessing care due to language barriers and digital exclusion. 
•  Homeless individuals and those with disabilities facing difficulties navigating health services. 
• Long waits for GP appointments, lack of coordination between GPs and pharmacies, crowded emergency departments, and limited access to NHS dental services.
•  The report noted that while some participants were satisfied with online services and pharmacy care, many still struggled due to social and economic challenges.

Key recommendations include improving vulnerable communities' awareness training for health workers, offering accessible information and translator services, and ensuring services like mobile community clinics for homeless individuals and enhanced support for neurodivergent people.