26 May 2023

North West London Integrated Care System have published their March and April 2023 community insight reports, which provide a summary of what residents and communities are telling them in each of the eight boroughs across North West London.

You can read the full reports on their website. Below you can read some of their findings.

Some of the key points raised in March were:

  • Residents want to understand more about the medication they are prescribed, how it interacts with other things they are taking and for tests – what the readings mean on blood tests for example . This is echoed in the screening awareness work for cancer: people want to understand why it’s a particular cycle for screening for example, and some communities are unclear as to what screening offers versus diagnosis – why would they get screened by a nurse rather than diagnosed by the expert hospital doctor.
  • Concern from some minority ethnic communities that their pain and concerns are dismissed.
  • Concern about health checks for children under the age of one: some parents were not comfortable with these taking place over the phone.
  • Some concerns were raised around the next steps after hospital discharge – not everyone feels clear on what the next steps are and who they should contact for follow up.
  • There was positive feedback on experience digital healthcare from some residents, especially on the Next Door website.

In April, some of the key issues raised were:

  • A number of residents using the online ‘Patchs’ system expressed concerns about how well it is working for them.
  • Some patients were concerned at the manner in which they were spoken to by reception staff.
  • Dementia sensitivity: in the testing for dementia, it is important to be aware that English might not be the person’s first language and hearing might be an issue.
  • A Harrow Healthwatch Social Care event  showed up  challenges  and anxiety about challenges in being able to get hold of a social worker. In Ealing, people wanted advice on how to reach help in the local authority.

Learning Disabilities: concerns that call backs from a GP can be especially difficult for these patients as they can need someone there to support them with the call.

We received feedback on the need for more work with some groups, particularly older Asian women, on diabetes, particularly the need for lifestyle changes to support treatment.

We are now looking to combine the insights with other relevant data so we get a clear picture of resident experience and insight across NW London.