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Communication needs due to a disability, sensory loss or an impairment are covered under the Equality Act 2020 and the NHS Accessible Information Standard (2016) which states that NHS funded health and social care providers must meet the information and communication needs of people who access services. Communication should be undertaken in ways that meet identified needs and information should be provided in formats that are clear and easy to understand. -
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The purpose of the visit was to observe the environment and explore first-hand with customers their experiences of using Duggals Chemist.
HWS wanted to find out customers’ experiences of the pharmacy service, this included why they visit the pharmacy and what support they get from the pharmacy including and how they are treated.
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Healthwatch Sandwell is your independent consumer champion for health and social care services in Sandwell. Our job is to champion the consumer interests of those using the services and give local people an opportunity to speak out about their concerns. We listen to views, concerns, and compliments about services to help shape and improve them so that people are accessing the most quality and appropriate care. -
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Healthwatch Sandwell (HWS) frequently hear from Sandwell residents about frustrations with trying to access and obtain appointments at their G.P. practices, especially regarding phone queueing systems, and public perception that premises are no longer open for face-to-face services.
The HWS project aimed to:
• explore the issues for patients with access to G.P. practice
appointments
• gauge public awareness and uptake of other primary care service
options
• gather a picture on the operation of primary care services in
Sandwell.
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Covid-19 and roll out of the vaccination programmes has impacted nationally on delivery of primary care services. Service changes have included minimisation of face-to-face patient engagement which effectively supported implementation of the NHS Long Term Plan 2019 “digital first”1 agenda for primary care. Sandwell is ranked as the 12th most deprived local authority area nationally for indices of multiple deprivation with a lower-than-average life expectancy and higher than average health inequalities and mortality rate in under 75-year olds.
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Digital skills levels, digital poverty, and an increasing ethnically diverse population
with some language barriers present challenges with access and receipt of
health and care which services need to consider. -
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Healthwatch Sandwell have a legal power (Health and Social Care Act 2012) for Authorised Representatives to visit health and social care services and see them in action. This power to Enter and View services offers a way for Healthwatch to meet some of their statutory functions and allows them to identify what is working well with services and where they could be improved. -
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NHS health and social care services care are legally required to follow the Accessible Information Standard 2016. This includes doctors, dentists, hospitals, pharmacies and social workers. The Standard sets out a specific, consistent approach to identifying, recording, flagging, sharing and meeting the information and communication support needs of patients, service users, carers and parents with a disability, impairment or sensory loss. Healthwatch Sandwell have explored with people with disabilities, sensory loss, or impairments
whether health and social care services are meeting their information and communication needs as required under the Accessible Information Standard 2016. -
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Healthwatch Sandwell listen to what people say about their health and care services.
We tell health and care services what people said and how they can make things better. -
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NHS health and social care services care are legally required to follow the Accessible Information Standard 2016. This includes doctors, dentists, hospitals, pharmacies and social workers.
The Standard sets out a specific, consistent approach to identifying, recording, flagging, sharing and meeting the information and communication support needs of patients, service users, carers and parents with a disability, impairment or sensory loss.
Healthwatch Sandwell have explored with people with disabilities, sensory loss, or impairments whether health and social care services are meeting their information and communication needs as required under the Accessible Information Standard 2016. -
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Healthwatch Sandwell is your independent consumer champion for health and social care services in Sandwell. Our job is to champion the consumer interests of those using the services and give local people an opportunity to speak out about their concerns. We listen to views, concerns, and compliments about services to help shape and improve them so that people are accessing the most quality and appropriate care. -
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Healthwatch Sandwell is your local health and social care champion. We make sure NHS leaders and decision makers hear your voice and use your feedback to improve care. We can also help you to find reliable and trustworthy information and advice.
Over the past year we have published 22 reports, engaged with 2,043 people and visited six towns of Sandwell delivering our Guided By You workshops. -
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Diabetes clinic at Sandwell General Hospital gives patients the chance to meet a range of different members of staff who have specialised and have years of experience looking after people with diabetes who can check that they are as healthy as possible and give them highly specialised advice on how to look after their diabetes. Most referrals come via the GP. -
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Take a look at this months Insight Report, which will give you a snap shot of what our team have been doing during July. -
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Birmingham and Midland Eye Centre is one of the largest tertiary level facility of its kind in Europe which provides expertise in clinical care, research and education. It is based at City Hospital in Birmingham and is part of the Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust. It receives referrals from hospitals and GPs across the region.
It offers a comprehensive set of services including ophthalmology Accident and Emergency, diagnostics, day surgery and outpatients, as well as housing administrative and educational facilities – all services :
https://bmec.swbh.nhs.uk/services/ -
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Take a look at our August Insight Report to see what patients are telling us about services in Sandwell. -
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Healthwatch Sandwell are aware the challenges people facing regarding getting GP appointments, especially during the pandemic. We would like to capture the other side of GP surgeries, what are surgeries doing to improve the patient experience?
This will help:
• Inform patients about improvements the surgeries are making
• Build relationships with Practice Managers and Patient Participation Groups (PPG)
• Promote PPGs -
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Healthwatch Sandwell Insight Report - September 2023
Take a look at what the team have been doing during September! -
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Healthwatch Sandwell are aware the challenges people facing regarding getting GP appointments, especially during the pandemic. We would like to capture the other side of GP surgeries, what are surgeries doing to improve the patient experience?
This will help:
• Inform patients about improvements the surgeries are making
• Build relationships with Practice Managers and Patient Participation Groups (PPG)
• Promote PPGs -
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You might remember our Guided By You tour where we held six workshops in six Towns around Sandwell. We visited each Town and spoke to local people about their priorities. We have collated the comments and suggestions from people in each town, this information is now ready in our Guided By You report which is not live!
Want to see what people in your local area are saying? Use the download button below to see what people are saying in your area. -
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Diabetes UK information on ethnicity and diabetes references research that states people of African Caribbean (and Black African and South Asian) ethnicities are at a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes than the white ethnic population and at a younger age, 25 years old compared to 40 years old. Age related diabetes can also develop much earlier at around 50 years old compared to 70 years old for the White population.
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The Young Adult Diabetes Transition Clinic is a service aimed at providing care, treatment and education for young people with diabetes aged from 19 to 24 years old depending on needs. The paediatric specialist diabetes doctor will refer young adults to the transition clinic when they are ready. -
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Urology is the medical term focusing on the urinary tracts of men and women, and on the reproductive system of men. The Urology Department at both City and Sandwell Hospital sites provide a general urological service as well as sub-specialist tertiary referral care. The team of consultant urologists is supported by junior medical staff and clinical nurse practitioners providing a wide range of services for benign and malignant urological
conditions. -
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The Department of Foot Health cares for a wide range of foot and lower limb problems amongst the population of Sandwell and West Birmingham community, with the primary focus on preventative care to minimise the risk of complications which are associated with, but are not exclusive to, diabetes. A number of specialist clinics tailored to each patients need are provided, including: nail surgery, neurological foot service, biomechanics, diabetic foot care and specialist wound care management, rheumatology, pod paediatric clinics and Peripheral Arterial Disease. -
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Here are our October Insights. Find out what the team have been up to and listen to what local people in Sandwell are telling us! -
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Our Authorised Representatives facilitated the visit and spoke to 7 patients, both male and female of mixed ethnicities and observed the environment on 1st August 2023.
A pre-set of questions were asked that covered:
• Patient experience of the service including booking appointments, care by
staff, accessibility to the building and information and any suggestions to improve the service.
• How staff meet individual needs of patients including the communication needs
of patients who have impairments, handling anti-social behaviour from
patients / relatives, how to support patients who want to raise a complaint /
concern about the service and suggestions to improve the service. -
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The Department of Foot Health cares for a wide range of foot and lower limb problems amongst the population of Sandwell and West Birmingham community, with the primary focus on preventative care to minimise the risk of complications which are associated with, but are not exclusive to, diabetes. -
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Phlebotomy is the process of taking blood samples from Patients, to aid doctors in their investigations and diagnosis. At Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, all blood tests are by appointment only and can be carried out at a number of locations including Victoria Health Centre. -
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The Department of Foot Health cares for a wide range of foot and lower limb problems amongst the population of Sandwell and West Birmingham community, with the primary focus on preventative care to minimise the risk of complications which are associated with, but are not exclusive to, diabetes. A number of specialist clinics tailored to each Patient’s need are provided, including: nail surgery, neurological foot service, biomechanics, diabetic foot care and specialist wound care management, rheumatology, podopaediatric clinics and Peripheral Arterial Disease. -
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Join us for our Health Advisory Board Meeting 24th October 9:30 am. For information on joining, please contact us on;
0121 569 7211 or email us at info@healthwatchsandwell.co.uk -
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Information for our Health Advisory Board Meeting to be held 4th July 2023. -
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Opticians are at the frontline of eye care. By carrying out detailed examinations, they are helping to improve eye health across the country. They also prescribe and fit glasses and contact lenses. Chapman Opticians have a wide variety of frames and lenses giving lots of choice and can advise on styles of eyewear that suit individual needs.