Healthwatch Suffolk have just launched a new project, with Healthwatch Essex, that aims to gather feedback from the public and also our local NHS and care workforce about use of digital services (appointment systems, online consultations, phone triage, remote visiting etc).
We help get the best out of health and social care services in Suffolk; improving them today and helping to shape them for tomorrow by engaging with people living here. We use the things you tell us about local care to influence the delivery and design of services in the county – not just for people who use them now, but for anyone who might need to use them in the future.
The aim of this project is to understand how the sudden increase in the use of technology during the pandemic has impacted upon people’s experiences of receiving, or providing, both NHS or social care. This is particularly important as we know many of these new means of access are here to stay, so we need to make sure they will work for those who will need and rely on them.
All of the information about the survey (including all survey formats) can be found on: https://healthwatchsuffolk.co.uk/digitalhealthandcaresurvey/
Here is a news item including quotes from us, HW Essex and Dr. Ed Garratt: https://healthwatchsuffolk.co.uk/news/digitalhealthandcaresurvey/
I’d really appreciate any help to circulate the survey widely, either digitally or in your local newsletter. We are also keen to reach people from BAME communities and also those who may be ‘digitally excluded’, so any help to reach communities will really give us the best chance of achieving a diverse response.