COMMUNITY CARE – NEW REPORT PUBLISHED. INQUIRY SHOWS DECLINE IN SERVICES
Click here to download report
Community care is an often almost invisible but vital web of support for the most vulnerable in our society receiving care outside hospital and often in their own homes. In a unique collaboration between an NHS Campaign (SLHC) and a local Healthwatch in Lewisham 100s of stories have been gathered from users, clinicians and managers of community care services in Lewisham.
The Inquiry highlights worrying changes in community care, with services reducing in most sectors. We also see lack of access, resulting from a reduction in community care provision, poor co-ordination of services and continuity of care, confusion about where to access services and access information. Staff are increasingly stretched and are working harder and longer hours. Despite these challenges, in the majority of cases users in both social and health community care still receive a quality service delivered by caring and attentive staff who listen and involve them in decisions about their care.
The reduction in funding is the result of government cuts that the local authority and the NHS have been forced to endure. The Campaign will take these issues up with the council, the Clinical Commissioning Group and the SE London Strategy Group.
Click here to download report.
Winning the best community care Phase 1
NEW Film of the events from Stuart Monro, released 18 January 2015
Click here to see photos from the event
Click here to see report
Winning the Best Community care Phase 2
Earlier this year Healthwatch Lewisham, the Save Lewisham Hospital Campaign and Carers Lewisham undertook an appreciative inquiry into community care services. The Inquiry involved gathering over 100 positive stories of community care to identify what excellent community healthcare looks like. Now we want to hear your recent experiences using a community care service
Community care services include: district nurses, health visitors, physiotherapy at home, chiropodist, midwifes, GPs, practice nurses, community matrons, the 111 service and out-of-hours GP service
Social care community services include: social workers, care assistants, care in the home, care homes, community mental health nurses/social workers
People have told us that the following things make for good community care:
- Time
- Accessibility
- Smooth Proactive pathways
- Empowerment of the Patient
- Professionalism, Skill, Sensitivity, Listening
- Sees the person and the social situation not just the condition
Phase 2 questionnaire
We now want to investigate the reality of community care. Please click here to download a questionnaire to fill out on your computer, or to print off and send in – return email and postal address is on the questionnaire.
Online Phase 2 questionnaire
An online questionnaire is available here
Please click here to download press release
Background to Winning the Best Community Care events in summer 2014
We need your help
The Save Lewisham Hospital campaign who saved Lewisham Hospital last year is turning its attention to community healthcare services in the borough – and we need your help.
Tell us your good news stories about your care
We hear so much in the press about what’s wrong with our healthcare services but how often do we hear about all the good things that are happening out there? Despite the many challenges faced by the NHS, people are experiencing brilliant health care, extraordinary kindness and fantastic support every day, and it’s those experiences that we’d like to hear about.
You know what community health care works well for local people. This may be as a care user, or as family, a friend, communities or neighbours of someone or people using care. It may be as a trade unionist, nurse, doctor, carer, care assistant, community health worker, social worker, commissioner or in some other role.
Please tell us what has made a difference. This may include different services working together including hospital and community health services. Excellent community health care includes support for service users, families, neighbours and communities to work together to keep healthy and manage illness. It could be a very small event or a long process – whatever meant a lot to you or yours
Why do we want to collect your stories?
- We want to protect and improve our community healthcare and its links to hospital care.
- We want to avoid privatisation.
- Your stories will be shared with the people who pay for our community care services to ensure community care is secured not just for now but for generations to come.
So, if you have a “good news” story about your district nurse, your doctor, or your friends – anyone that helps support and care for you or a friend or relative, in the community, please tell us.
You can quickly send us your story by filling out the form below OR you can do the full survey below
Email contact: brian@paers.net
Click here to fill out full survey
All personal information will remain entirely confidential
