Diabetes: patient experiences of health, care and support services to help manage the condition.

News - 16 May 2023

9.9% of the Sandwell population have diabetes, which is higher than the National average at 7.1%. and the West Midlands at 8%. NHS G.P. Practice data 2020-21 for Sandwell indicates an overall upward trend. Sandwell also performs poorly on inter-related health conditions, has lower healthy life expectancy and higher mortality rates from preventable deaths. (Sandwell Trends - Public Health England statistics)

Healthwatch Sandwell would like to collaborate with health, care and support services to ensure patients voices are heard. To help inform and improve services Healthwatch Sandwell would like to hear from Sandwell residents living with diabetes.

To share your experiences you can either 

Complete our survey at  https://online1.snapsurveys.com/rl39cf for a printed version of this or to complete via phone, please contact Sophie on 07732 683483 / sophie.shuttlewood@healthwatchsandwell.co.uk 

You can also share your story via email, audio or video recording, you can call us to have a chat or join one of our upcoming focus groups. If you would like to take part in a focus group - look out for dates of these! Or if you would like to invite us to your group, please get in touch.

We would also like to chat to people, who have or have had diabetes, from the following groups
to explore whether services are meeting needs:
 Older People (over 65 years old)
 South Asian ethnicity
 Black Caribbean ethnicity
 Black African ethnicity
 Gestational diabetes (during pregnancy)

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Come and see us!

Come along and talk to Melissa at one of the locations shown below! We want to listen to your patient experiences. We can also offer information, advice and support.
News

Enter and View analysis of visits to specific places of support services related to diabetes

This report will provide an overview of the Enter and View visits conducted between April 2023 and March 2024. This will include visits to support services related to diabetes however, the visit to Harvest View, 28 Harvest Rd, Rowley Regis will not be included as it will be a standalone report.
Enter and View programme focused on Patient’s experiences of support services related to diabetes e.g. diabetes clinics, phlebotomy, retinal screening services (at hospital eye clinics and opticians etc), foot clinics and urology. There were a range of these services (22 venues approx.) A sample of Clinics were visited to ensure that the 6 towns were covered – see appendix 1. Some sites offer a range of these services so some visits were combined.
Report