Proactive Care project report

Healthwatch Herefordshire undertook a survey about the support needed by people with long term conditions.  They reached 141 people.

The participation from the public was more concentrated in the South and West PCN area, as community engagement took place in person at two peer support groups: The Ross Meeting Centre (dementia support) and The John Kyrle Club. These two groups were identified multiple times as useful services for respondents, but it was not possible to identify whether their response was a direct result of engagement in person or through other means.

Many of the community assets listed by respondents, particularly those run by volunteers, are dependent on participation and support from their communities. Groups can easily fold without ongoing support for organising or funding. The Ross Meeting Centre (dementia support) and The John Kyrle Club fall into this category and have both received support from the Ross Community Development Trust. (Ross-CDT). This has been in the form of volunteer training and screening and promotion of the clubs in a quarterly newsletter that is delivered to all the households locally.

A new peer support group for those affected by prostate cancer has been started this year in Herefordshire. It has been set up by two individuals with the condition who identified a gap in support in the county, which would have been useful to them upon diagnosis. Voluntary groups like this rely upon individuals to join in and organise, for the greater good of their local community. This can wane when people become acutely unwell.

There is apathy among communities to engage with health research at a local level, which makes getting the views of a significant number of people In a specific cohort difficult. NHS services have direct access to these patients and could assist in more effective targeting to ensure participation.

The engagement highlighted that more could be done to increase people’s desire and willingness to play a more active role in managing their health.

It is clear that in a large sparsely populated county like Herefordshire, services can be Hereford-centric, and transport can be an issue for some people. There is a need to manage expectations in more rural areas about expecting the same level of support services as a market town or the city.

The most significant gap in provision that was identified by respondents of the target cohort was the lack of peer support groups in the county specific for diabetes, asthma/COPD, and cardiovascular disease.

All respondents who said they had used day or support services through St Michael’s Hospice gave positive feedback on their experiences