Healthwatch Devon is the independent champion for health and social care covering the largest local authority area in the South West of England with a population of 814,440 in 2021.
We take your experiences of using health and care services - both good and bad, and share these with those who have the power to make change happen.
What services have helped you with low mood, anxiety, panic, fears or depression?
Only 10% of respondents so far, have rated their experience of mental health and wellbeing services in #Devon as POSITIVE.
Have you, or someone you know, been suffering from low mood, anxiety, panic, fears or depression? Are you getting the support you need? Has your experience of using NHS mental health and wellbeing services been good, or could it have been better?
It’s quick and easy to share your experience with us by completing this anonymous online survey
Share your experience with Healthwatch and we can let organisations like NHS England know what good care looks like because we all want to improve services and make a difference to people’s lives.
Cost of living: People are increasingly avoiding NHS appointments and prescriptions
Healthwatch England has conducted a tracker poll with 2000 adults in England between October and December to assess the impact of the cost of living on their health and wellbeing and whether it has affected how they use health and social care services.
The report shows that people are avoiding vital care due to the fear of extra costs, for instance, people avoided getting prescription medicines, and booking NHS appointments, including dental treatment, due to the fear of extra costs in December than in October. Also, people who avoided an NHS appointment due to the cost of travel doubled to almost one in 10, 11%, in December, up from 6% in October.
Louise Ansari, our National Director, said:
“It is clear that the impact of the cost of living crisis on people’s health and wellbeing is beginning to hit home.
“We are very worried that people are increasingly avoiding getting prescription medicines, booking NHS appointments and travelling to their appointments because of the extra costs. The steps people are taking to cope with the cost of living can have serious implications on their physical and mental health. This is likely to place a further burden on the already stretched NHS."
Healthwatch has set out immediate actions the government working with health and care services can take to support people in the cost-of-living crisis and save money relating to:
55% of respondents (68 people) said "Yes" they thought their health and safety was at risk due to caring duties.
“We are left to cope with every arising situation with little or no practical support unless we fight for it.”
Healthwatch in Devon, Plymouth, and Torbay would like to thank everyone who took the time to complete the survey and give their feedback. Healthwatch would also like to thank Devon Carers, Improving Lives Plymouth, and the Torbay Carers Service for helping to design and distribute the survey.
Healthwatch has share the findings of this report directly with those responsible for commissioning Carers services for them to consider and respond to.
Okehampton Town and Parish Open Space, Sport and Recreation Plan Questionnaire
Consultation with existing clubs and the community to gather into a Parish/Town OSSR Plan activities currently available and proposed projects within the town/parish for open space, sport and recreation.
The Plan will assist with targeting existing funding and resources, and to identify future projects and requirements which may result from increased housing development. In short we want to hear about your club/organisation to help identify the challenges you are facing and see what funding may be available to you.
Last year they launched their Diabetes is Serious campaign to make sure people living with diabetes continue to receive the care they need and get vital diabetes services back on track. They looked at what aspects of care people were struggling to access and the impact this was having on people.
They have put together a new survey to follow up and see what care experiences people had in 2022. This will help them see what has changed, and which areas need to be prioritised in the coming months.
News from Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust:
Industrial action update from Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation TrustWe have received confirmation that the Royal Devon will be impacted by further planned Royal College of Nursing industrial action on 6 and 7 February 2023.
As before, colleagues and union representatives are working very closely together to ensure that patient safety and staff wellbeing are maintained as much as possible.
Please keep an eye on our website for further information.
Acute Hospital at Home (AHAH)
Our Acute Hospital at Home (AHAH) service, which is nationally referred to as the ‘Virtual Ward’ programme, is a safe and efficient alternative to receiving care as an inpatient on a hospital ward.
It is currently running across our Eastern services and will be rolled out across our Northern services in a phased way over the coming weeks.
Anyone referred to our AHAH service will receive the same care, monitoring and treatment that they would from a hospital bed or from a local community service, but from the comfort of home.
Our AHAH team, which includes doctors, nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, paramedics, clinical support workers and occupational therapists, are in touch with patients on a regular basis throughout the day, and can be contacted 24 hours a day.
In this video, Sally shares her experience of being a patient of a virtual ward.
The map shows the locations of all of our Healthwatch Assist Network members.
Our Assist Network allows us to build links with communities so we can gather information about the health and care services they use. We simply want to know what is and is not working. This information is fed back into the community and shared with key healthcare decision makers who can learn from good practice and make improvements to local services.
Can't see your community group on the map? Join the Network today and become an Assist member to join the map with so many others!
Flu vaccination is important because, while flu is unpleasant for most people, it can be dangerous and even life threatening for some people, particularly those with certain health conditions.
The flu vaccine is given free on the NHS to adults who:
are 50 and over
have certain health conditions
are pregnant
are in long-stay residential care
receive a carer's allowance, or are the main carer for an older or disabled person who may be at risk if you get sick
live with someone who is more likely to get a severe infection due to a weakened immune system
If you're eligible for the free flu vaccine, it's likely you can get the COVID-19 seasonal booster.
SignHealth are a passionate and caring Deaf-led team working towards a future where there are no barriers to good health and wellbeing for Deaf people, they partner with the NHS and service providers across the country.
