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Lack of access to NHS dentists in Somerset is a significant issue raised with us by the public. They have told us that NHS dentists in Somerset are not taking on new patients. Over the last three months, 35% of all the feedback we have received about health and care services came from people who couldn’t find an NHS dentist in Somerset.  Many were parents trying to find an NHS dentist for their children, pregnant women, or people who are on benefits who cannot afford to pay for private dental care. What people have told us Here are some examples of the feedback we’ve received about dental care in Somerset. “I’ve been on the NHS website for dentists and phoned six different dentists, but they all say they are not excepting new patients.  I’m not registered with any dentist, but need to see one now as I have an extremely loose eye (canine) tooth and a wobbly front tooth.  It seems my only option is to go private, but I can’t afford this being a carer on minimum wage.” “I’ve been trying to get my two year old son into an NHS dentist.  I’ve typed my postcode into the NHS Website to see which ones are local and have rung nearly every single one of them, and not one of them are taking on any new patients.  My son missed out on an appointment last year when he started getting his teeth due to Covid, and now I can’t get him in anywhere.  I think it is appalling that they are telling me that I will have to go private.” “I am 65 years old and only have my bottom teeth and two have fallen out now and the other teeth are loose.  I have trouble eating and talking, and need to see a dentist as I’ve got gum disease.  I am on universal credit and can’t afford to pay privately, and I think it’s a disgrace that there aren’t any NHS dentists.” “We’ve been registered as a NHS patient at our dental practice for several years, but we’ve been notified by the practice that they have withdrawn from offering NHS services, meaning we either have to pay for private treatment or find an alternative NHS dentist.  After contacting numerous dentists in our area we’ve not been able to find one that is taking new NHS clients.  This means that we are now without any dental care service.” “I’m pregnant, and can’t find an NHS dentist accepting new patients.  I’ve tried ringing several in the area and further afield.  The ones on the NHS website which say they are NHS have a waiting list, but it’s two and a half years long!  I’m very worried about going private as I haven’t been to a dentist in a while, and if something major is revealed, how will I afford the private fees?” “I am looking for an NHS dentist.  I am on benefits and disabled my son is my full-time carer.  I was discharged from my previous dentist as I hadn’t had an appointment in over two years.  I have a severe fear of dentists and this was during Covid, and I am clinically extremely vulnerable so couldn’t go then.  I am now without a dentist and despite ringing every dental surgery I’ve been told they are only taking on private patients.  My teeth are in an awful state and I am now struggling to eat, they are causing sores and cuts within my mouth and tongue, as they are essentially crumbling away.” What to do if you need urgent dental care If you have an urgent or emergency dental condition and don’t have an NHS dentist, you can call the  Somerset Dental Helpline on 0300 123 7691 , and you will be triaged to access the urgent dental care service.  Unfortunately, this only covers emergency work, and you will then have to find a dentist to complete the work. Healthwatch calls for dental care reform In October 2021, Healthwatch England co-signed an open letter addressed to the Chancellor of the Exchequer calling for a recovery plan for NHS dentistry.  You can  read the letter here . In December 2021, Healthwatch England published a report on what people have told them about NHS Dentistry.  They called, once again, for the Government and NHS England to speed up dental reform and provide significant and sustained funding to tackle the underlying problems of dental access and affordability.  The report shows that between 2019 and 2021 there was a reduction of 17% in adults and 42% in children who were seen by an NHS dentist.  (Read more:  Recovery of NHS dental care too slow to help thousands left in pain | Healthwatch .) On 24 January 2022, Darren Jones, MP for Bristol North West (Lab) bought up a debate in Parliament about the lack of NHS dentists, as many of his constituents have told him how difficult it has become to find an NHS dentist –  read the debate here . On 25 January 2022, it was announced by NHS England that there will be £50 million new funding made available to secure 350,000 extra NHS dental appointments until the end of March in England.  Children, people with learning disabilities, autism, or severe mental health problems will be prioritised –  read more here . The South West will receive £4,726,000 of this funding, and NHS teams will use the money to increase capacity amongst local dentists by offering NHS appointments outside of core hours, such as early mornings and weekends. While this new funding and the focus on supporting vulnerable people is welcome, Healthwatch England and the local Healthwatch network will continue to call for wider reform due to the “deeper and more systemic challenges in the dental sector that have been laid bare over the last two years… after this dreadful pandemic.” Where can you go for support? If you are unhappy about not being able to find an NHS dentist in Somerset you can  contact your local MP  to let them know how this is affecting you.  You can also contact NHS England to  make a complaint . We will continue to record people’s feedback and share this with those who are responsible for providing dental care in Somerset, as well as Healthwatch England.   Get in touch  to share your experience.

The Accessible Information Standard is mandatory for all organisations that provide National Health Service (NHS) or adult social care. The standard aims to make sure that people who have a disability, impairment or sensory loss get information that they can access and understand and that they get any communication support they need from health and care services.  Organisations are required to provide alternative formats where required, such as braille, large print, and easy read. They must also support people to communicate, for example by arranging a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter, deafblind manual interpreter or an advocate. What do health and care organisations have to do?  Ask if you have any communication needs, and asked how these needs can be met. Record your needs in a clear and set way and highlight these needs in your file or notes so people are aware and know how to meet them. Share information about your communication needs with other providers of NHS and adult social care, when they have consent or permission to do so. Deliver information to you in a way you can access and understand, with the option for communication support if needed. What should you expect?  So if you’re speaking to a dentist, doctor, care home manager or any other provider of health and social care, here’s what you can expect: You should be able to contact, and be contacted by, services in accessible ways, for example via email or text message. Information and correspondence should be given in formats you can read and understand, for example in audio, braille, easy read or large print.  You should be supported by a communications professional at appointments if this is needed to support conversation, for example, a British Sign Language interpreter.  Health and care staff and organisations should support you to communicate, for example, to lip-read or use a hearing aid.  What can you do if your communication needs are not met?  We know that not all services are fully compliant with the Accessible Information Standard.  If you do not receive information about our health and care in a format that suits you, you can:  Remind service staff that they have a legal duty to provide accessible information under the Accessible Information Standard.  Make an informal complaint to the nearest Patient Advice and Liaison Service which can help you to resolve issues informally. Make a formal complaint. If you’re thinking about making a complaint, you are entitled to support from the independent NHS Complaints Advocacy Service.  Share your experience with your local Healthwatch, who will feed back to local services and decision-makers, as well as feed into Healthwatch England’s national advocacy work.  Get involved with your local Patient Participation Group or patient reference group – groups of patient volunteers which work to represent the voices of patients and improve services.  More information Read about the Accessible Information Standard on the NHS website.

Eating disorders are complex mental illnesses that anyone can develop, regardless of age, income and ethnicity. Take a look at some of the common signs of eating disorders and where to go for support if you need help. According to  Beat Eating Disorders  there are an estimated 1.25 million people in the UK with an eating disorder. Eating disorders vary a lot from person to person and can be challenging to identify. Could I have an eating disorder?    Some of the common behaviours suggesting you or a family member may have an eating disorder can include:    distorted beliefs about your body eating large quantities of food at once getting rid of the food eaten through making yourself sick, frequent fasting, going to toilet after meals or other unhealthy means a combination of the above. If you’re worried about yourself or someone else, seek help as quickly as possible, as this gives the greatest chance of a full recovery. It was a struggle and it is a constant struggle; you do not know who to turn to get help for your child and there are not enough people who know enough about eating disorders. Parent talking to Healthwatch Where to go for support Contact your GP  If you think that you have an eating disorder you should contact your local GP. They will ask you about your eating habits and lifestyle. If they think that you might have an eating disorder they will refer you to a specialist.  Talk to a friend or family member  It can be very hard to admit you have a problem and ask for help. Start by talking to a friend or family member. You could even bring them with you to your appointment to make you feel more comfortable. Talk to an advisor   Beat Eating Disorders  has advisors who can talk to you about the different types of eating disorders, and provide information about recovery and the support available to you. - Adult Helpline: 0808 801 0677 or email  help@beateatingdisorders.org.uk - Youthline: 0808 801 0711 or email  fyp@beateatingdisorders.org.uk Services in Somerset Eating Disorders Service for Adults (EDSA) Somerset and Wessex Eating Disorders Association (SWEDA) What should services do to help? Provide quicker access to support. Beat has warned that during the pandemic NHS waiting lists to see a specialist have grown alarmingly. Raise awareness of eating disorders and make information about local treatment and support easy to access. Offer more information about support groups to help people support a family member or struggling with an eating disorder.

By Tanya Camberwell, Healthwatch Somerset Engagement Officer We want to reach as many different and diverse communities as possible from across Somerset, to tell people about our work, to give them an opportunity to share their views, and to help them find the health and care services they need. In 2021, we attended a wide range of community festivals, venues, and meetings, and joined many voluntary and community sector events, both out and about and online. I took part in two ‘Together’ events supported by the Community Council Somerset Diverse Communities team.  Yeovil Together, took place outdoors at Mudford Park, Yeovil during the last week of July; they were blessed with beautiful weather, and it was a busy day full of cultural activities and music. The Bridgwater Together event, took place in the Town Hall in Bridgwater and was equally packed with people, food, music, talks and activities; another wonderful event to meet more people face-to-face. In the last few months, I have been learning about the great work of  Somewhere House  in Burnham-on-Sea, whose mission is to provide a therapeutic service for anyone who chooses to access support in the local community.  They aim to reach individuals who most need help through a variety of services including low-cost counselling, educational workshops, and community projects.  I joined their monthly coffee mornings which are open to anyone and provide refreshments and cakes on a donation only basis. Their Christmas event ( Photo credit: Burnham-on-Sea.com ) was covered by the local newspaper:  Burnham charity Somewhere House Somerset holds Christmas ‘coffee and chat’ I want to thank everyone (Mulțumesc, Dziękuję, Ačiū, Obrigado, Blagodarya ti), who supported me with these events and to the wonderful people of Somerset for their contributions and interest in our work, have a wonderful festive season. If you have a meeting, event, or group that we could visit or join online in 2022, do  please get in touch .

Know your rights and get the support you need Carers Rights Day was introduced by Carers UK to draw attention to the multiple rights that unpaid carers are entitled to and to raise awareness of the services and support that makes such a difference. Carers want recognition, support, and equality In a recent nationwide survey, Carers UK found that the most important things to carers are recognition, particularly by professionals, support, and equality.  Most carers’ mental and physical well-being is affected by caring but, with so many support services having to be withdrawn because of Covid, the last 18 months have been particularly hard. During the pandemic four in five carers had their caring responsibilities increased, 78% said the needs of those they cared for had increased, and two out of three were worried about how they would manage during the next year, including financially. What rights do unpaid carers have? Carers have the following rights: to request to be identified as a carer to have a carers assessment, separate from the assessment of the person/people they care for to be consulted on hospital discharge for the person they care for to be protected from discrimination to request a free flu jab; and to request flexible working. The value of unpaid carers Bearing in mind that carers nationwide save the statutory services about £193 billion, mostly willingly, there is a very good case for them to be recognised, supported, and treated equally. Support for carers in Somerset In Somerset, there are several services and initiatives to help support carers, including the following. Somerset Carers Service:   This is run by the  Community Council for Somerset  on behalf of Somerset County Council.  Their network of Village Agents across Somerset supports carers in their communities.  They also run carers support groups, both face to face and online, in partnership with Spark Somerset.  Phone: 0800 31 68 600, or text ‘Carer’ to: 78070. Somerset NHS Foundation Trust Carers Service:   Provides support for people caring for someone with a mental health condition.  Find out more online  or email:  Carers@somersetft.nhs.uk . Carers UK:   Provides a range of support for carers on the phone and online, including a 24/7 online forum, a regular ‘Care for a Cuppa’, access to the latest information on benefits, and fact sheets and leaflets full of useful information. Call their helpline: 0808  808  7777 or  find out more online . Healthwatch Somerset’s support for carers The Healthwatch Somerset team has a good understanding of the challenges carers experience in their lives, and of the difference made by the people and services that provide support. Healthwatch Somerset supports the Carers Strategic Partnership Board in Somerset. We gather feedback from people, including those with caring responsibilities, about their experiences of health and care services, and we can help them find the support they need.  Several of our team have caring roles in our own lives, we are members of different carers groups, and we volunteer with them too, for example  Re-engage  and  Somerset Sight . The paper Christmas wreaths (pictured) were made at a local Carers group where one of our team volunteers.  A similar activity will take place at the  Taunton Carers Support Group on Tuesday 7 December  at Wellsprings Chapel at 10.00am.  If you’d like to go along, contact Carol on 0788 8077757 or email  mccracken@talk21.com  for more information. Share your story and feedback about services If you want to share your experience of being a carer and feedback about the support services you use, please get in touch.  We will use your feedback, anonymously, to help Somerset’s health and care services understand about the support you need and value.

In our new report out today, young people are calling on the county’s health and social care services to improve how they communicate – with each other and with young people – to improve how they care. 65 young people have told our Young Listeners about their experiences of using health and social care services. They talked about the barriers and challenges they face when seeking support, and the changes they want to see to make services work better for young people. Key themes were identified and, in response, the Young Listeners have made recommendations for how Somerset’s health and care services can develop to address young people’s needs and concerns. They have shared their findings and recommendations with Somerset’s Health and Wellbeing Board, Somerset County Council, and Somerset’s NHS Clinical Commissioning Group. Key themes Lack of communication between services:  41% of young people said they had to repeat their symptoms and story to each service they used, even if they had been referred by their GP or another service. They found this frustrating, and for some young people with mental health issues, it was distressing. Poor communication with young people:  This was one of the most common issues raised including by those moving from children to adult care services. Young people often felt forgotten, not listened to, and not involved in decisions about their care, leading to distrust of health and care services. “After a GP laughed at me, it took me a long time to recover and feel confident in going to healthcare staff with a problem.”“No emails or calls, I felt left alone.”“I almost gave up.”“It felt like being a minor made me not listened to.” Not enough information about health and care services in schools, colleges, and universities:  Over half of the young people were concerned that they could not find the information they needed in school or college about health and care and the services available. “At school we don’t really learn new things about health, they just go over the same thing.”“They had no information to provide.”“I don’t think awareness is spread around.” Services are not promoted in ways that are appropriate, accessible, or inclusive of young people:  Many young people are unaware of the health and social care services that are available. A common concern was that services are not promoted using the online channels that young people increasingly use, which makes it difficult for them to find information and answers. “When I found the services they offered brilliant support, it was just a matter of finding the support.” Recommendations for change and improvement More training for all school staff around mental health and wellbeing awareness, and the support that is available locally, so that they can signpost young people to the correct services. Health and social care services should re-evaluate how they communicate with each other and their patients, to reduce confusion and feelings of abandonment. Services that support young people should promote themselves in ways that are appropriate and accessible for young people. Schools and services should promote the need to ask questions and reduce stigma around health and social care issues, encouraging young people to seek information and answers from professionals. Health and social care services should involve young people more regularly in decision making processes, as well as in planning for projects concerning young people. In the report, the Young Listeners suggest some simple and practical actions and solutions to help services achieve these improvements. Young Listeners project summary Between January and July 2021, Healthwatch Somerset recruited and trained a group of nine volunteer Young Listeners from across Somerset, aged 12 to 18. The Young Listeners designed and delivered a peer-to-peer engagement project to find out what it is like to be a young person using health and social care services in Somerset. In August and September 2021, they gathered feedback from 65 young people via face-to-face and online meetings and events, and an online survey. Read the report Find out more about young people health and care experiences and why they are asking for change by reading our report -  Young Listeners Project – Sharing young people’s feedback to improve the health and social care services they use . Healthwatch Somerset Manager, Gill Keniston-Goble said: “We know that services improve when they listen to the people they care for and adapt to meet their needs. We also know that children and young people often feel ignored or don’t feel supported in a way that suits them. With the help of our fantastic Young Listeners, we have been able to give young people in Somerset the opportunity to share their stories and their views to influence change and improvement in young people’s health and social care services. Thanks to all the young people who took part and to our Young Listeners for delivering such an inspiring and positive project in a year that was so challenging and limiting in so many ways due Covid-19. We will now work with services to make sure that your feedback is heard and used to make care better for young people.” Fiona Phur, Partnership Business Manager at Somerset County Council said: “Young people’s voices should be at the centre of all our decision making and the findings from this project are powerful and give direction to future service planning. Well done to Healthwatch Somerset and the young people and everyone who supported them.” Becky Applewood, Deputy Director for Women’s and Children’s Health, NHS Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group said: “The insight from this report shows just how important it is to ensure children and young people are at the centre of the work we do and that we really listen to their experiences and observations. Our services need to properly meet the needs of children and young people, not the organisations, and this can only be achieved by working with and listening to them. The report also shows how, when we deliver any of our health services, we have to think about the child or young person holistically, considering both their mental and physical health so we achieve the best outcome for them. It is really important that we join up our health and care services so that children and young people in Somerset are able to easily access what they need; making sure that early help is available before things worsen.”

Information and advice from Healthwatch England, September 2021 Waiting for planned medical care or surgery can be a frustrating time.  That’s why it’s so important that while you wait, you get regular, clear, and accessible updates so that you can plan your next steps. If you or a loved one are waiting for care, read on to find out what healthcare staff should be doing when contacting you. Communications from healthcare staff should: 1. Be personalised to you and not just a generic response When you’re contacted by healthcare staff about your upcoming appointment, they should provide honest information about your next steps.  You must be made aware of realistic timescales and what to expect while you wait so that you can make an informed decision about your treatment. 2. Put you at ease around safety concerns regarding COVID-19 Significant steps have been taken to minimise the risk of COVID-19 transmission while in hospitals.  But, if you have any concerns about your safety while in hospital, you should be given contact details to discuss these concerns with a healthcare professional. 3. Use clear language When healthcare staff contact you, the language they use should be clear, accessible, and easy to understand – whether that’s by letter, email or on the phone.  Of course, sometimes technical terms are needed, but these should always be explained to you first. 4. Share their decision making You should be part of the conversation when decisions about your health are being made.  Healthcare staff should support you to make the right decisions for you and outline the risks and benefits of going ahead with, cancelling, or delaying your procedure. 5. Be transparent about delays and cancellations When contacted regarding a delay or cancellation to your appointment, you should be given a clear reason and information about what happens next.  Healthcare professionals must be open and honest with you and give a realistic timescale when you should expect to hear from them again.  Further support should be provided to you to help you manage your condition whilst waiting for care.  This could be information about or access to other health and care services, or access to pain relief.  Above all, it should be clear who you should contact if your condition deteriorates.  Your safety should always be the priority.If you are waiting for an operation and this gets cancelled for a non-clinical reason on the day you were due for surgery, your hospital should offer you another fixed date within 28 days or fund your treatment at a date and hospital of your choice. 6. Ensure you’re contacted in your preferred way Information about your upcoming care should be easy to access and you should be provided with the option to ask questions.  It’s also essential that the way you prefer to receive information is met.  A phone call is often a popular choice, but alternative options should be available for any patient with specific language or communication needs.

Millions of people have had their treatment delayed by the pandemic – are you one of them? Healthwatch Somerset has been finding out how local people have been affected by waiting for surgery in Somerset.  As the local survey closes, Healthwatch England have launched a national survey about waiting times, giving people another chance to share their story. Millions waiting for care because of pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in many people having their operations, treatment and appointments cancelled or delayed. The NHS had to postpone non-urgent elective care treatment when the pandemic hit, freeing up inpatient and critical care capacity.  While this helped medical staff respond to the crisis, it has resulted in a huge backlog of people waiting for treatment. The latest data shows that the number of people waiting for routine operations and procedures in England is at its highest level since 2007 – currently at 5.45 million. Impact of delayed treatment The impact of delayed treatment can be huge, potentially leaving you in pain and affecting both your physical and mental health.  It can even stop you working and performing day-to-day tasks, such as cleaning, shopping, and caring for others. What could be improved? It’s essential that while you wait for treatment, you get support to manage your health and wellbeing in a way that is best for you.  If you need hospital treatment, you should be receiving advice and information from the NHS about how to look after your health while you wait.  You should be kept informed about the dates of your treatment and where you are on the waiting list. Share your views to help people waiting for care It’s vital that decision makers hear your experience of waiting for care as a result of the pandemic and the subsequent backlog.  Whether it’s gynaecological surgery, a knee replacement, or a biopsy you’re waiting for, if you’ve got a story to tell, Healthwatch is here to listen. If you have already shared your feedback with Healthwatch Somerset, your views will be shared with Healthwatch England. Everything you share is confidential and will help Healthwatch to understand what needs to be put in place to better support people waiting for treatment like you.  So, whether your experience is good or bad – we want to hear it. Help us to help the NHS better support people like you by completing Healthwatch England’s short survey and telling us your experience of waiting for care. [Survey now closed] If you would prefer to get in touch with Healthwatch Somerset , call Freephone 0800 9991286 or email  info@healthwatchsomerset.co.uk .

Your mental wellness is as important as your physical health but seeking help can be daunting. Here's what to expect when you seek support for your mental health. Mental health matters. One in four of us can experience poor mental health each year. However, only one in eight adults with ill-mental health is getting treatment.   If you have been struggling with your mental health and are referred for support or are thinking about seeking help, here's what you should expect from your care. In need of support now?  You don't have to wait to speak to a GP if you need mental health support. You can self refer for talking therapies online, or contact a range of charities for help or more information.  NHS talking therapies  Mind Samaritans Young Minds What should I expect when being referred to a mental health service? If your GP thinks mental health services can help you, they will write to them to ask for an appointment. Your GP should discuss with you the different types of mental health support available – both within the NHS and provided within the community. You should be involved in deciding what kind of service that you think would best suit your needs. NICE guidance  recommends that the mental health services should do their best to offer you an appointment within three weeks of your GP writing to them. New NHS standards set to be implemented later this year state that you should be offered an appointment within four weeks after being referred for community-based mental health services. Your appointment letter should include information about getting there and a number to call if you have problems. It should also clearly state who you will see and what will happen during an assessment.  The letter should also ask if you need any additional support to help communicate or if you would like to bring a family member, carer or advocate with you). Questions to ask during your assessment After being referred to a mental health service, you'll need to attend an assessment. You might feel nervous about this, but it's important to think about some of the questions you can ask to make sure you get the most out of your appointment. Here are some examples: Why am I being offered an assessment? Will you tell anyone about my mental health problem? Who can provide my treatment and care? Are there any support organisations in my local area? Have you got any information for my family or carer? How can I manage my own condition? Who can I contact if I need help quickly between appointments (in a crisis)? What should I expect from mental health professionals The first mental health professionals you might speak to at your GP surgery might be a Mental Health Practitioner, who can advise you on access to services, or your GP who can refer you to a mental health service. When referred to a mental health service, you might speak to a qualified Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP), a qualified high-intensity therapist, another healthcare professional or your consultant (this could be a nurse, a psychiatrist or another clinician). The health and social care professionals supporting you should be easy to identify, friendly and welcoming. They should understand that you may feel nervous and do their best to make your feel comfortable. How should I be involved in my treatment? Doctors, nurses and other health and social care professionals should support you to make decisions about your treatment and care. They should encourage you to manage your condition, including recognising warning sides of your situation worsening. Professionals should provide you with resources to support you in a format you can understand and information of where you can go to further support. Your mental health team should explain your treatment and also work with you to develop a care plan, including: Activities, such as education, work, volunteering, caring for family members or leisure activities What you can do to keep well How to cope with and reduce any risks to yourself or others Who to contact in a crisis If there's a risk you may have a crisis, there should also be a crisis plan. What should I do in a crisis? There should be a local 24-hour helpline you can call in a crisis. Your GP or mental health team should be able to give you this number. If the crisis team thinks you need an assessment or treatment from mental health services, you should: be seen within four hours and be given clear information about what's involved asked whether you would prefer a male or female professional to assess you be asked where you'd like the assessment to take place. The crisis team should be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and should support you to stay at home rather than going into hospital if possible. Can my family, carer or advocate be involved in my treatment? Professionals should make sure you can make decisions about your treatment – this is called 'capacity'. This can change over time if your mental health condition is severe, and your doctor might ask you if you want to make an advance statement or advance decision about your future care. Mental health professionals should also ask you if you would like a family member, carer or trained advocate involved in your care and, if you agree, what information you'd like to share with them. Find out more about what you should expect from mental health care in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.

By Max Popham, Healthwatch Somerset Youth Engagement Officer As government guidelines on Covid have slowly relaxed, we’ve been waiting to meet our Young Listeners in person.  That time finally came at the start of July, when we met three of our Young Listeners in the open-air barn in Taunton’s Longrun Meadow, while another two joined us on Zoom. We recapped on previous sessions and began to talk about the areas of health and social care that they want to focus on and what questions they want to ask young people. I was very impressed with their recall of the work we’ve done so far and their ability to respond to my questions, which shows just how dedicated and enthusiastic these young people are.  We had some in-depth discussions on topics that we weren’t able to have over Zoom, and once again it was great to see their deeper levels of knowledge, and how their confidence has grown within the group. As the group are of secondary school age, they decided to centre their research and ‘listenings’ around the school setting.  They want to focus on improving the school system’s effect on how young people interact with the health and social care system in Somerset.  Within this broad focus, a few subtopics were raised, including the LGBTQ+ community and the issues they face, mental health and wellbeing support, including eating disorders, and access to GPs. From the discussions we had and the questions our Young Listeners devised, I have no doubt that their listenings will lead to some excellent feedback from the young people they speak to.  And, through sharing their findings with the right audiences, I’m sure we will start to see some positive change in the way that schools interact with health and social care systems for the benefit of young people. We are looking forward to our next face-to-face meeting with the Young Listeners who weren’t able to join us, and then, very soon, we will start listening to the views and experiences of other young people. So, if you know young people with something to say about any of the issues we’re exploring, or you just want someone to talk to about your experience with a health or social care service, our Healthwatch Somerset Young Listeners are here to help.

As the number of patients waiting for surgery continues to grow, nationally and in southwest England, we are asking people about their experiences of being referred for surgery in Somerset and how they have been affected by waiting times. At the end of May 2021, 4,806 patients in Somerset had been waiting 40 or more weeks for non-urgent treatment (source: NHS Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group). The current NHS waiting time target is a maximum of 18 weeks from referral to treatment. Since March 2020, many routine and specialist treatments have had to be cancelled or rearranged due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and this has affected waiting times for surgery. We are gathering patient feedback to highlight how the length of time waiting for treatment impacts on people’s health and well-being, and to identify how hospital providers and commissioners could improve patients’ experience as they wait. We will share their findings and recommendations with Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, Yeovil District Hospital, and Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group, who have asked us to help them understand more about the patients’ point of view. Tanya Camberwell, Healthwatch Somerset Engagement Officer,  explained why they want people to share their experiences: “While we recognise the exceptional efforts of NHS staff who continue to treat patients while also managing the challenges of the pandemic, we also know that waiting for surgery can have an impact on people’s daily life. It can affect independence, work, and personal relationships, as well as mental or physical health. We will use the patient feedback that we gather to raise awareness of people’s wider health and care needs while they are waiting for surgery, and to inform and help influence the management of NHS waiting lists.” Matthew Bryant, Chief Operating Officer (Acute Services) at Somerset NHS Foundation Trust and Yeovil District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust,  said: “We know that many of our patients are currently waiting longer than we would like them to. Although we work with our clinicians to check that these patients are not coming to clinical harm, the emotional and social impacts of being on long waiting lists is less well understood and we welcome Healthwatch’s support in helping us to understand this and support our patients where we can.” If you or someone you know is on a waiting list for surgery in Somerset, or you recently had to wait for surgery, we would like to hear about your experiences. It’s easy to share your feedback and your comments can remain anonymous. [Online survey now closed] You can contact us to arrange a convenient time to feedback over the phone – call Freephone 0800 999 1286 or email:  info@healthwatchsomerset.co.uk In addition to the public survey, we have been working with Somerset NHS Foundation Trust Hospital and Yeovil District Hospital to reach and interview patients who are on the waiting list for surgery in Somerset’s hospitals.

Healthwatch Somerset Annual Report 2020-21: A review of our work over the past year and its impact, plus our work planned for 2021-22. Message from our Chair About us Highlights from our year Then and now Responding to COVID-19 Volunteers Finances Statutory statements Next steps Read our report If you need this report in a different format, please email info@healthwatchsomerset.co.uk or call 0800 999 1286.