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Insight into the public's health and care views

Report - 29 September 2023

We've looked closely at some issues people told us about to help NHS and social care decision-makers improve support.

Read our latest insight report

We highlighted local people's issues with GP services, hospital care, dental access, experiences of mental health services, child and adolescent mental health services and the growing effects this is having on them.

  • 63% had a negative experience (GP and dental services), with 30% positive and the remaining feedback was mixed.

  • We received the most feedback about GP services (46%), followed by hospital care (25%), mental health support (11%) and dentistry (9%).

  • Feedback we received on hospitals (Scarborough Hospital, Friarage Hospital and Harrogate Hospital) was mainly positive.

  • When people do receive treatment and support, they are often positive about the care they have received and tend to be appreciative of the caring and hard-working staff.

What people told us:

GP services

"The receptionist was helpful, positive and calm."

"There is a telephone queue of over 30 people."

The phone service is beyond impossible. It’s never answered. The website is unfriendly. There are delays of days or weeks in responding to website requests (or no response).

"The GP surgery is only contactable online between office hours. They don't ring back online requests. This causes anxious waits for vital medication.”

”The staff at the vaccination centre are doing a fabulous job.”

 

Hospitals

”I had surgery and the care I received was absolutely amazing.”

”This is an amazing maternity unit staffed by a great team who for both of my children ensured a safe delivery where I felt listened to and supported.”

“The only thing I would say is that post-pandemic, there is more of a 'musical chairs' quality about getting assigned to a midwife and obstetrician - you seldom see the same person twice.  However, the individuals themselves represent the best of the NHS.”

“I visited the ‘urgent’ treatment centre today with my four-month-old to be left three hours. It’s an absolute shocking amount of time to leave a baby.”

 

Mental health services

"The staff were excellent. Highly professional and respectful."

"They spent time with patients, addressing their practical and emotional needs."

 

Dentistry

“When we moved house, it proved impossible to find an NHS dentist. I was told to ring in every month to see if they had availability, but it became obvious, they didn't. I had excruciating pain from an abscess so had to pay for root canal treatment which was over £400. Now, two weeks later, I must have root canal treatment in a different tooth. How can we afford these charges?”

”My teeth are so bad I feel unable to go out socially or for job interviews and have no money to go private.”

What happens next?

We ask that service providers and commissioners who are mentioned in this report act on the feedback and insight and share with us what actions they have or intend to take to remedy these concerns. 

This includes the Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership, who work together with NHS organisations, North Yorkshire Council, Healthwatch, hospices, charities and the community voluntary and social enterprise sector to improve the health and wellbeing of people. Working together in this way is called an integrated care system.

We will include any formal responses to the recommendations on this webpage.

Our next insight report will be based on feedback from August to November 2023.

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