All things Healthwatch - Help and advice
After an introduction to Healthwatch Rotherham and what we do, Andrea went on to talk about the South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) and the NHS service.
The group then held a whole room discussion around the general themes that we hear a lot about at Healthwatch Rotherham such as mental health services, waiting times for GP appointments and difficulties getting through on phone lines, dental waiting lists and cost of treatment, A&E waiting times and pharmacy errors.
The discussions sparked a flurry of feedback and questions, which Andrea was able to answer and provide help and advice regarding useful local and national organisations and websites.
You can find details of some of the main topics raised below, with helpful links to support and information.
Dentistry
“Why are fees at NHS dentists going up so much? People are going to stop going and the care should be available to everyone”
We hear a lot about issues people have with dentistry, both in terms of the cost of treatment and being able to find an NHS dentist. The new dental recovery plan has recently been introduced to tackle some of these issues. Healthwatch Rotherham have put information on their website to guide you through what the new plan means for you.
Technology
“We’ve been using Airmid, which is quite good, but it’s taken some getting used to. What about people who don’t have access to the internet or technology and those who might be ill or have a disability, or like some of us, who are older and just don’t understand it”
“We rely on younger relatives to help with anything digital when it comes to our healthcare, because we don’t know how to do things”
A lot of people raise their concerns with us about the way health and social care services are moving increasingly online and how this can exclude certain groups from accessing them as easily. A partnership between the Council, NHS, RotherFed, Voluntary Action Rotherham, RNN Colleges, Age UK Rotherham and Barnardo’s has led to Rotherham Digital being developed, to provide all residents of Rotherham help with getting online.
Pharmacies
“I’ve been speaking with my pharmacy and they are really overworked now as they’re doing the job of GP surgeries and taking on more responsibility all the time”
With the introduction of the Pharmacy First scheme in January 2024, pharmacies can now provide prescription-only treatment for seven common conditions without you needing to see a GP. Although this has improved the healthcare options for individuals, we are aware of concerns about how pharmacies will cope with the additional responsibilities. To help you find out how it works and what conditions you can be treated for, Healthwatch Rotherham have put helpful information on their website.
Transport
"Car parking at Rotherham Hospital is appalling from not being able to access a ticket at the barrier, because I’m very short, to parking spaces and not being able to find one. When I arrive at the barrier, I have to get out of my car to reach for the ticket and by the time I’ve got back in the car, the barrier has gone down again!"
We know that transport and parking continues to be an issue for Rotherham residents accessing health and social care services, which is why we have launched a survey this month to gather as much feedback as possible from you about the problems you face to bring about transport reform. If you would like to add your story to our research, please click on the link.
Parkinson's
The Rotherham Parkinson's support group holds regular get togethers where those affected by Parkinson's can meet in a supportive and social way. Andrea heard from the group some of their experiences of getting diagnosed with Parkinson's and the challenges they have faced since.
“We have had to leave our GP practice because the care was so bad. We’ve joined a new practice which in comparison is absolutely fantastic, we’ve been offered a Parkinson's nurse straight away”
"The practitioner we saw was awful, his bedside manner was shocking. Why do people do these jobs if they don’t want to help and be kind"
“My husband has recently been diagnosed with Parkinson's - we were offered no further appointments until 6 months time. How can people wait knowing this but not having any information on the condition or knowing how it’s going to affect our lives”
For more information and support about Parkinson's and the Rotherham Parkinson's support group, see the link below:
