Local residents in Pulborough, Petworth and Midhurst have their voices heard
The Rural West Sussex Listening Tour is part of a three-year programme of engagement designed to reach deeper into local communities to gather views and experiences from people, not normally heard from.
Katrina Broadhill, Manager of Healthwatch West Sussex says:
“We’re delighted to be giving a voice to local people in rural West Sussex. Having understood some of the challenges residents face when trying to access health services, we hope local leaders take this valuable insight onboard when developing services in the area.”
The report Listening to Rural West Sussex highlights some of the wider issues members of the public shared with us for example:
People spoke positively about:
- Their care with maternity services
- Staff across services are described as ‘helpful’ and ‘understanding’ by many
Not so positive conversations included:
- Long waiting times for hospital appointments and cancellations
- Perceptions of prioritising different patient groups
- Travelling to health appointments
- The problems with miscommunication, and information being recorded incorrectly
Healthwatch West Sussex continues to use its influence to ensure the rich insight they gather is shared appropriately with those who provide, plan and pay for local services and that recommendations made, are followed up.
The Rural West Sussex Listening Tour report and future updates are available on the Healthwatch West Sussex website.
