Local Voices: What are the public saying about health and care in Humber, Coast and Vale?

This report was produced jointly by the six local Healthwatch organisations across the Humber, Coast and Vale (HCV) area to inform the development of the Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP). It draws on engagement with around 20,000 people through surveys, focus groups, community events, Enter and View visits, and other forms of public feedback. The report provides an overview of what people value in health and care services, the problems they experience, and the changes they would like to see. 

The report found that access to GP appointments was one of the most common concerns across the region. People reported difficulties getting through on the telephone, frustration with systems that required them to call at specific times for appointments, long waits for routine appointments, and difficulties seeing their preferred GP. Evidence suggested that problems accessing primary care sometimes led people to attend A&E departments or out-of-hours services instead. 

Mental health services were identified as another major area of concern. People reported long waiting times, difficulties accessing Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), inadequate support during transitions from children's to adult services, shortages of local inpatient beds, and poor communication between services, carers, and families. Concerns were also raised about over-reliance on medication, insufficient access to talking therapies, and limited support for adults with ADHD.

Across the region, people were dissatisfied with delays in diagnosis, treatment, follow-up appointments, hospital admissions, and receiving test results. Delays were often compounded by poor communication, with patients saying they were not kept informed about appointment changes, cancellations, discharge arrangements, or reasons for waiting. 

A recurring theme was a lack of continuity in care. Patients highlighted the negative effects of frequently changing GPs, mental health workers, domiciliary care staff, and agency staff. Many people felt that repeatedly having to explain their circumstances to different professionals reduced the quality of care and caused unnecessary frustration. 

The report also identified concerns about social care. These included delays in assessments, difficulties arranging care packages, poor access to information, concerns about residential care quality, and inflexible services that did not always reflect individual needs. NHS dental access was another issue in several areas, including York, where some residents reported difficulties accessing NHS dentistry. 

Despite these concerns, the report highlighted several positive themes. People valued timely support and intervention, personalised care, caring and compassionate staff, strong GP services, and opportunities for social contact. Community organisations, support groups, and voluntary sector services were seen as playing an important role in helping people maintain their health and wellbeing. 

When asked what would improve their experiences, people consistently called for better communication and greater involvement in decisions about their care. They wanted clearer information, more transparency about service changes, better communication with families and carers, and greater opportunities to influence service design. Many people also wanted more joined-up care so that they would not have to repeatedly tell their story and could move more smoothly between services. 

The report included a review of Healthwatch work relating to the STP priority themes. In urgent and emergency care, investigations highlighted concerns about poor signage, a lack of information on waiting times, confusion about alternatives to A&E, and limited amenities in waiting areas. Healthwatch York’s previous work found that many people attending A&E had minor illnesses or injuries, few had contacted NHS 111 or a GP first, and many would have preferred a separate walk-in centre. 

In mental health, evidence from York and East Riding highlighted concerns about communication, continuity of care, access to services, and the impact of the closure of Bootham Park Hospital. Patients and carers reported stress caused by service changes, long-distance travel for inpatient treatment, and poor cooperation between organisations. However, some people also viewed service redesign as an opportunity to improve mental health provision. 

Work on GP services across several Healthwatch areas consistently identified problems with appointment systems, long waiting times, insufficient evening and weekend appointments, confidentiality concerns in reception areas, and difficulties accessing services for people with disabilities or additional needs. Recommendations focused on improving appointment systems, increasing communication, expanding access options, and making services more responsive to different patient groups. 

Healthwatch York’s contribution highlighted local concerns about GP access, continuing healthcare, domiciliary care, mental health services, adult ADHD support, dementia diagnosis and support, hospital discharge processes, social care assessments, and access to NHS dentistry. Positive experiences were linked to personalised care, timely support, understanding staff, and effective support for people with mental health conditions. York residents said improvements would include easier GP access, greater availability of mental health inpatient services, better transport links, clearer care pathways, and more information available in accessible formats. 

The report concluded that public feedback across Humber, Coast and Vale consistently emphasised the importance of accessible services, effective communication, continuity of care, personalised support, and genuine involvement of patients and carers in service planning. It recommended that the Sustainability and Transformation Plan should be shaped by these experiences and that ongoing engagement with local communities should remain central to future health and social care planning.