The coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, which began in March 2020, has meant that health and care services have had to rapidly change and adapt their services.
Our reports look at what local people thought about information, health and care services, community support and their wellbeing between March and July 2020.
What did we do?
- We ran an online survey, in collaboration with Healthwatch Swindon and Healthwatch BaNES.
- We used our website feedback, social media and responding to calls and emails via our Helpdesk Hub Team to gather people’s experiences. Our volunteers also shared feedback they had heard in their communities with us.
- We subscribed to Care Opinion, an online platform where people can post their feedback on services.
What did we find out?
Our key findings included:
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Most people could find and understand the information they needed about Covid-19 but keeping up-to-date with changes was more difficult.
- Virtual appointments had worked well for many, but for some these were difficult or not possible.
- Some people were not accessing services due to fear of Covid-19, or fear of ‘overloading’ the service.
- The pandemic has affected people’s mental health and wellbeing.
- Community groups and volunteers have been a valuable source of support to local people.
