Improving essential pharmacy services in Dorset

Results of a recent survey by Healthwatch Dorset sheds light on over 900 local residents’ experiences with Dorset pharmacies. The findings offer valuable insights that can help improve access and service delivery, including the Pharmacy First scheme, for all Dorset communities.

According to their survey, the majority of respondents found their local pharmacy easy to access, with particularly positive experiences reported for online pharmacies. However, the data also uncovered concerning challenges in more rural areas, where some pharmacy closures, reduced hours and supply issues are having a significant impact on people’s ability to obtain necessary medications.

The report details troubling accounts of medication shortages leaving people feeling anxious and unsupported. These supply chain disruptions not only inconvenience patients but can also have serious consequences for their health and wellbeing.

The report findings will feed into the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment. They have also been shared with Our Dorset Integrated Care System (ICS), NHS Dorset, local unitary councils, the Local Pharmacy Committee and the GP Alliance.

Read the report

Boscombe Voices: Shaping better health and social care in Dorset’s local communities

Boscombe is the second pilot area identified by Dorset’s Integrated Care System (ICS) for the development of Integrated Neighbourhood Teams. Census data identifies areas of Boscombe as being among the most deprived in Southwest England, and high levels of deprivation play a significant role in health inequalities.

During summer 2024, Healthwatch Dorset engaged with around 180 Boscombe residents at local community groups and settings, gathering valuable feedback on their experiences with local services; several themes emerged. The key findings were:

• Difficulty booking appointments
• Lack of face-to-face GP appointments
• NHS dental care shortages
• Specialist services access issues
• Social care challenges.

In their report, Healthwatch Dorset outlined recommendations to help the ICS shape the Integrated Neighbourhood Team for Boscombe and ensure it meets the community’s needs effectively.

Read the report

Accessing health and care while homeless or vulnerably housed

To understand the health disparities for people experiencing homelessness, Healthwatch Dorset visited support services in Bournemouth, engaging with people who are currently experiencing homelessness or living in vulnerable housing, as well as health professionals and support workers.

They conducted a ten-week project from January to March 2024, having conversations with 26 people experiencing homelessness and seven frontline health and support staff. They found several significant barriers preventing people from accessing the care they desperately need:

• Lack of fixed address or ID
• Digital exclusion
• Cost of communication
• Mobility and transport issues
• Stigma in healthcare settings
• Common health issues are poorly managed
• Barriers to mental health support
• Limited NHS dental access
• Poor access to basic facilities.

In their report, Healthwatch Dorset make several recommendations to help NHS Dorset address these issues, emphasising the need for integrated services, improved training for healthcare staff, and the removal of systemic barriers to healthcare access.

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Discharging patients from hospital to home care – a carers perspective

Healthwatch Dorset asked unpaid cares about their experiences of supporting loved ones to leave hospital and recover in their own home or another care setting such as a care home or community hospital.

They used the feedback gathered to highlighted the challenges faced by carers and to identify areas for improvement, including support for carers, information and communication, the process for leaving hospital, person-centred care, and staff training.

In September 2022, Healthwatch Dorset reported their findings to health and care leaders to inform the redesign of the NHS Dorset’s Home First service, so that it works better for the people who deliver it and for those who are supported by it, including families and carers, patients, and staff.

In November 2022, Dorset NHS lunched a new Hospital Carer Passport to help carers be recognised and supported while they care for someone in hospital. This scheme addressed one of the recommendations made by Healthwatch Dorset to improve support for unpaid carers.

This engagement project was funded by NHS England as part of its Commitment to Carers Programme which aims to build a better understanding of carers experience of hospital discharge. Healthwatch Dorset worked in partnership with Dorset HealthCare, the Home First team, and Dorset Community Action.

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Improving patient access to urgent and emergency care in Dorset

NHS Dorset asked Healthwatch Dorset to independently evaluate patient experiences of the different urgent and emergency healthcare settings, to identify ways to improve people’s understanding and access to these vital services​.

In April 2023, they gathered feedback from 56 patients, recorded observational data at healthcare settings, and had conversations with frontline healthcare staff. They found:

• A lack of communication between healthcare settings, patients, and NHS 111, including around NHS 111’s role in signposting and booking appointments.
• Limited patient awareness of the distinctions between MIUs and UTCs and the services provided, leading to a preference for using ED or NHS 111.
• Inconsistent and outdated information in healthcare settings and on the Stay Well Dorset website.
• Underuse of MIU services in rural areas.
• An increase in patients visiting MIUs and UTCs who need primary care rather than urgent or emergency, due to lack of GP and dentist appointments.

In their report, Healthwatch Dorset make several recommendations to help NHS Dorset address these issues and enhance public understanding and access to urgent and emergency care services. Collaborative work is now underway to incorporate patient engagement and experience into the design and delivery of services in Dorset.

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Making health and care better for young people in Dorset

Healthwatch Dorset’s 2023 report, Your Mind, Your Say, provides valuable insight from local young people to inform NHS Dorset’s review of young people’s mental health services.

The recommendations for change presented in the report are based on in-depth conversations with 23 young people from groups who do not always have a strong voice. This includes young people who have experienced trauma, young refugees, LGBTQ+ individuals, those who are outside of mainstream school, young offenders and previously looked after children. The report also reflects back and builds on the Healthwatch Dorset 2021 Young Listeners project which presented feedback from 70 local young people.

Several recommendations were made to address the improvements young people want to see around:

• Shorter waiting times.
• Treating young people as individuals.
• Comfortable non-clinical settings.
• Better continuity of care, with support from the same mental health staff.
• More follow-up support, including post-treatment check-ins.
• Offering activities during Talking Therapy sessions, to help young people feel comfortable.
• Appropriate self-help suggestions.

In February 2024, Healthwatch Dorset talked to the Student Services team at Weymouth College about common mental health issues young people are struggling with, how the College supports them, and what they think could be done to improve mental health care for young people in Dorset.

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Improving access to NHS Dentistry in Dorset

Dorset residents have been concerned for some time about the lack of NHS dental care in the county.

Healthwatch Dorset investigated why local residents were struggling to access the care they needed. They contacted all 95 dental practices listed on the NHS England website to carry out a survey about dental provision in the county.

In their March 2023 report, Healthwatch Dorset highlighted that no NHS dentists in Dorset were taking new adult patients and many dentists were only accepting patients who could pay privately. The report also highlights how the lack of access to routine and urgent dental care impacts people’s health and wellbeing.

Healthwatch Dorset shared their findings with NHS Dorset to inform their plans for improving access to NHS dentistry and oral health in the county​.

Read the reports