What changes do people in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin want to see made to their NHS?

How many people spoke up?

Over 600 people shared their views with their local Healthwatch in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin on the changes they would like to see made locally after the Government's promise to invest billions into the NHS across the country.

People were asked how local services could improve, as well as to share ideas about how the NHS can help people live healthier lives and take more control of their care.

What did people say? 

The groups that reported the poorest experiences of getting help were those people who had long-term conditions such as arthritis and diabetes, people with mental health difficulties and people with heart and lung disease.

The majority of respondents from these three groups said they felt that they had not received timely and consistent information about their condition from all services.

Positively, people receiving cancer treatment overall seemed happy with the communication received. 

A local resident said:

“As a carer for a mental health patient, who has a very long and complex medical and psychiatric history, I would like my needs to be taken into account when deciding my partner’s treatment plan.

“When she is ill, it puts a lot of strain on me as I have heart, bowel and other health problems, which are totally ignored by the mental health services.”