What Healthwatch heard about health and care

Every three months, we round up all that we've heard from people and share this with the NHS and North Yorkshire Council and the people who organise, fund and provide health and social care locally. It brings together what people told us about access to services, support, communication, dignity and the quality of care they received.

The report reflects both what is working well and where people are facing real challenges, using people’s own words to show the impact on their lives.

Recognising the pressure on services

We know that NHS and care staff are working in incredibly challenging circumstances, often under sustained pressure and with limited resources.

Many of the issues raised are not about staff effort or attitude, but about system pressures, capacity and how services are organised and funded.

Staff cannot provide safe, compassionate care without the right support. People’s experiences make clear that services need more help to meet demand and to deliver the care people need, when they need it.

Why your feedback matters

Sharing what you have gone through (or are going through) helps identify improvement opportunities and highlight examples of excellent practice. It also gives insight into how changes to local services affect residents.

We will continue to share what we hear directly with service providers, commissioners and other decision makers.

Who we are sharing this report with

Healthwatch doesn't just write reports. We share them with the organisations that plan, fund and run health and social care services in North Yorkshire. We also bring them up for discussion at local meetings with those in charge. Where we have recommendations, we ask for a response.

We send our reports to:

• NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board
  The local care board is the NHS organisation that plans and pays for many local NHS services. It decides priorities, commissions services, and is responsible for improving health and reducing unfair differences in health across the area.
• GP practices and local primary care leaders
  GP practices provide everyday healthcare, referrals and ongoing support. We also share this report with the local NHS teams who support GP services, including those responsible for improving access and patient experience.
• Local hospitals and NHS Trusts
  These organisations run hospital and community services, including outpatient appointments, planned operations, urgent care, and some specialist clinics. They also manage quality and safety and respond to issues raised by patients and carers.
• Yorkshire Ambulance Service
  This is the ambulance service for our area. It provides 999 and 111 responses, and in many areas also provides patient transport services to help some people get to and from appointments.
• NHS dental commissioners and dental services
  NHS dentistry is funded and arranged through NHS commissioning. We share what people tell us about access to NHS dentists and the impact of long waits or lack of availability.
• Adult social care teams at North Yorkshire Council
  Councils, sometimes known as local authorities, are responsible for adult social care, including care at home, care homes, support for carers, and assessments of need. They also play a key role in hospital discharge and support to help people stay independent.
• Elected decision makers in North Yorkshire
  This includes local councillors and senior leaders in the council. They help set local priorities, influence funding decisions, and can raise issues about services on behalf of local communities.
• York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority and the Mayor, David Skaith
  This organisation leads on big local priorities like transport, housing, skills, and economic growth. These areas can have a direct impact on people’s health and on whether services have the staff and support they need.
• Local MPs and national decision makers
  MPs can raise issues in Parliament and press for action. We also share the themes in this report with national decision makers, including Government departments, to highlight where local services need more support.
• Voluntary and community organisations
  These groups support people day to day, including carers, older people, and those who are isolated or facing barriers. They also help us understand what is happening in communities and where support is missing.

What Healthwatch will continue to do

Healthwatch North Yorkshire will continue to listen to people’s experiences and share what we hear, both good and bad, with those responsible for planning and delivering services.

We will keep speaking up for people across North Yorkshire, using their feedback to:

• highlight what is working well
• raise concerns where people are being let down
• encourage improvements that make services easier to access and safer to use

Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their experience. Your voices help shape better health and care services for our communities.