September round up

The report outlines the key issues from September 2020 about access to health and social care services in Sheffield. It includes:

• GP services- people were finding it difficult to book appointments- they were either unable to get through on the phone or were waiting for a long time to speak to someone. This issue has become even more significant now that the only way to access a large number of services is by telephone.
• Dentists- people couldn’t find a dentist when they needed treatment, which increased their stress and pain. Access to dental care has been the most frequently raised issue throughout the pandemic- while previously people were struggling to access urgent care, Healthwatch Sheffield are now hearing about the longer-term impacts of paused or delayed dental treatment, and the limited capacity to take on new NHS patients.
• Delayed treatment- people have experienced cancelled and delayed treatment, including surgery to treat serious conditions which has had a significant impact on them in terms of pain management, worsening symptoms, and deteriorating mental health and wellbeing.
• Communication- people have shared confusion or concerns about the communication they’ve received from services- this includes not knowing how to make an appointment while services are working differently, and not being kept up to date with when routine appointments will be back up and running. Communication has been particularly challenging for people with hearing impairments and with language barriers.
• Flu vaccinations- people had positive experiences at their GPs when they received their flu vaccines. They valued safe environments with friendly staff.
• Mental Health respite care- 3 people shared their experience which relates to the provision of mental health respite. The respite bed closed during the pandemic and the situation was made worse because people received mixed messages about whether the bed would reopen at any point, and what they could access in the meantime.