NHS 111 service in Somerset

Healthwatch Somerset worked in partnership with Healthwatch Devon, Plymouth and Torbay, to make sure that the people using the NHS 111 non-emergency service in Somerset and Devon have a say on the way it is delivered to them.

In January 2021, following a public engagement campaign, we reported that although the NHS 111 service was rated highly by the public, there were inconsistencies in accuracy and quality.  In autumn 2021, we carried out a follow-up public survey. We found evidence of progress, but there are still aspects of the service that require improvement, with the most common public complaints being about long waiting times and difficulty getting through on the phone.

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Making health and care better for young people

Healthwatch Somerset gave young people the opportunity to directly influence improvements in the health and social care services they use.

Between January and July 2021, we recruited and trained a group of young volunteers aged 12-18 to become Young Listeners. They designed and delivered a peer-to-peer engagement project to explore the issues that are important to young people.

In August and September 2021, they met and ‘listened’ to 65 young people from across Somerset. They heard about the barriers and challenges young people face when seeking care and support, and the changes they want to see to make services work better for young people.

In November 2021, they reported their findings to Somerset’s health and care decision makers and made recommendations for how to improve services for young people.

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NHS waiting times from referral to treatment in Somerset

Healthwatch Somerset investigated how waiting for hospital treatment affects people’s lives, health, and wellbeing.

Patients who shared their experiences reported poor communication from hospitals and many felt their health and wellbeing had deteriorated while waiting for treatment. The team shared findings and recommendations with those responsible for health and care in Somerset to help them understand how people are being affected by waiting for surgery and to inform their work to improve support for patients and managing NHS waiting lists.

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