Need extra support for health appointments?
Everyone should be able to access healthcare without barriers and with information that’s clear and easy to understand.
Our latest project aims to understand people’s experiences, highlight what’s working well, and call for improvements where needed. We’re building on what you previously told us matters, including our accessible information report (2022), which explored whether people could understand the information they received, and our GP website check-up report (2023), which looked at how clear and easy to use GP practice websites were.
That’s why we’re now reaching out to hear from people about their experiences of health appointments.
Survey now closed
The survey closed at 11.59pm on Friday 30 January 2026.
Thank you to everyone who took part and to those who shared the survey with friends, family, patients, and community groups.
What we were asking about
We gathered people’s experiences of recent health appointments, such as GP, dental, or hospital appointments, to understand what reasonable adjustments are in place and where they might be missing.
Reasonable adjustments are changes or help that make appointments easier to access. These can include:
- step free access
- clear information
- interpreters or communication support
- flexible booking or appointment times
We also asked about what worked well, so we can highlight good practice and share what makes a real difference for people.
What happens next
Now that the survey has closed, we will:
- Review and analyse what people told us, looking for common themes and differences across services and appointment types.
- Pull out examples of what works well, so local services can learn from good practice already happening in North Yorkshire.
- Develop practical recommendations to improve accessibility, communication, and the overall experience of appointments.
- Share findings with the organisations responsible for planning and delivering local care, including GP practices, dental services, NHS hospital and community services, and the NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, which plans and funds many local NHS services.
- Ask services to respond, including what actions they will take and how improvements will be followed up.
We will publish our findings in a report later in Spring 2026.
You can still share your experience
Even though the survey is closed, you can still tell us about your experience of health and care services in North Yorkshire at any time (we work Monday to Friday 9 am until 5pm, but a voicemail facility operates on a weekend if you're calling us).
- By phone: 01423 788 128
- By email: hello@hwny.co.uk
- British Sign Language: You can share your experience using SignLive with a British Sign Language interpreter. Your feedback is shared with Healthwatch England through the standard Have your say form, and anything that relates to North Yorkshire can be passed on to Healthwatch North Yorkshire if you agree. Visit our webpage Contacting Healthwatch using a British Sign Language interpreter to find out how to do this. The service is free.
All feedback is confidential. You do not need to leave your name, and what you tell us will not affect your care.
