Healthwatch recommends improved communication and support for patients waiting for surgery in Somerset

In a recent Healthwatch survey, patients who are waiting for planned surgery in Somerset reported a lack of communication from hospitals and many felt their health and wellbeing had deteriorated while waiting for treatment.

Earlier in the year, Somerset's NHS leaders asked Healthwatch Somerset to help them understand how people are being affected by waiting for surgery to inform their ongoing work to improve support for patients.

Healthwatch Somerset ran an online public survey from July to September 2021 and carried out phone interviews with patients from Musgrove Park and Yeovil District Hospitals who responded to an invitation to take part. Seventy-two people provided feedback about their experience of waiting for treatment.

At the end of March 2021, a total of 6,382 people in Somerset were waiting for planned surgery, which is a 62.1% increase compared to March 2020, just before the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite the backlogs and other challenges faced by the NHS, there were 2,568 completed surgeries in Somerset during March 2021. Nationally there are 5.7 million people waiting for hospital care.

Key survey findings

48 of the 72 patients who responded (65%) said they had been waiting over 40 weeks for surgery and many did not know how much longer they would have to wait. (The NHS performance standard is a maximum 18 weeks waiting time from referral to treatment.)

A common theme among those who completed the survey was a lack or absence of communication by specialists with patients who were waiting.

Many survey respondents reported that while waiting they felt they had experienced a deterioration in their condition, reduced mobility, and mood changes, which impacted on their daily lives.

35 of the 46 people who commented said they had to rely on family and/or friends to help them manage their daily tasks.

Healthwatch Somerset has shared detailed findings with Somerset NHS Clinical Commissioning Group, Somerset NHS Foundation Trust and Yeovil District Hospital, and made several recommendations on how to improve support for patients while they wait for treatment.

Healthwatch Somerset recommendations for change and improvement

Improve communication:

Specialists and their teams should communicate frequently with all patients waiting for treatment and provide them with information about plans for their care.

Patients should be given an up to date 'package' of information, including FAQs, advice and contact details for a wide range of useful health and community care services and support groups.

Provide more support to meet individual patients' needs:

Patients should be treated as individuals with specific needs.

Specialist treatment teams should work with GPs to check on patients' health and wellbeing regularly and systematically, to quickly identify potential issues and provide timely intervention, treatment, and support.

Patients who are unpaid carers should be identified and additional support should be provided to help them manage their own health and wellbeing, which also affects those they care for.

In its new report, The impact of waiting for NHS surgery in Somerset, Healthwatch Somerset suggests practical solutions to help services achieve these improvements and presents patients' experiences and feedback. The report also includes a response to Healthwatch Somerset's recommendations from Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group and a joint response from Somerset NHS Foundation Trust and Yeovil District Hospital. Gillian Keniston-Goble, Healthwatch Somerset Manager said: "Measures are being put in place by the NHS to tackle the backlog, but long waiting lists look set to continue for some time due to increased unprecedented demand on services. There is particular concern for people who experience long waits as this increases the potential for patients to develop additional issues with their physical health and emotional wellbeing. Although long waits are not the norm, we heard from many people waiting longer than the NHS maximum wait of 18 weeks from referral to treatment. While waiting lists are inevitable, it is clear from our research in Somerset, and from national Healthwatch England research, that what matters is how waiting lists are managed - patients need more information and better support while they wait, to prevent deterioration in their health and wellbeing." NHS Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), thanked Healthwatch Somerset for providing "valuable insight into the impact that long waiting times can have on our patients within the system." They continued: "The CCG and health and care partners recognise that waiting for planned care can be an anxious time for patients. Alongside our recovery plan programme, we have been working together to develop our preventative programmes to help support people as they wait for treatment… the survey has already had a significant impact on the improvement work that is being carried out by our Acute Trusts and the CCG will continue to work with all providers in supporting further improvements for the benefit of our patients."

NHS waiting list data

Somerset waiting list data provided by Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group. The latest NHS national performance data: Consultant-led Referral to Treatment Waiting Times Data 2021-22