Listening to Coventry residents - February update 2026

Healthwatch Coventry summarises feedback gathered from Coventry residents about their experiences of local health and care services. Most of the information was collected through outreach activities and events, including visits to community venues such as the City of Coventry Health Centre, the Central Library, and local churches.

The services most frequently mentioned by residents during February were GP services, pharmacies, and hospital inpatient care. The most common themes identified across feedback were access to services, problems with appointment systems, and concerns about the assessment of patient needs.

Many residents reported difficulties accessing GP services, particularly issues with booking appointments, long waiting times, and a lack of continuity in seeing the same doctor. Some people highlighted challenges using digital systems such as the Anima app, especially for those with limited digital skills. Others expressed dissatisfaction with communication, describing poor explanations of medical conditions, insufficient empathy from staff, and limited opportunities to discuss multiple health concerns in a single GP appointment. Concerns were also raised about delayed test results and weak communication between hospitals and GP practices.

When asked how services could be improved, residents emphasised the need for better appointment availability, reduced delays and cancellations, clearer communication between healthcare providers, improved staff empathy, and simpler processes for repeat prescriptions. Better internal communication within GP practices was also identified as a priority.

Despite these concerns, a significant portion of feedback was positive. The report notes that 42.6% of the experiences shared were positive, with residents praising attentive hospital staff, shorter waiting times compared with previous visits, supportive and communicative GPs, and the ease of using the NHS App for booking appointments. Positive comments were also made about breast screening services and friendly, helpful staff interactions.

The report concludes with demographic information about participants, including ethnicity and ward areas, and provides contact details for Healthwatch Coventry for residents who wish to share further feedback or seek support.