January 2024
Manor Farm Community Association is based in Rushall, Walsall. The centre, which was formerly a school, has a sports hall, café, craft room, conference room and many other rooms available for hire.
We attended the craft room for a coffee morning and lunch club to speak to attendees about their experiences, with the conversations covering pharmacy services, social isolation and access issues. A lot of the group members in attendance were picked up in the 7-seater community bus that was purchased by lottery funding. They shared that this bus is a lifeline, as most of the attendees are house-bound or have limited mobility, so they would not be able to attend the groups without it.
When discussing pharmacy services, one attendee said that she depended on her pharmacy delivering her tablets. Another attendee has cancer and is housebound, but her pharmacy can’t deliver her tablets as they have no transport. She has to ask neighbours to collect her tablets for her, so we advised that she can contact her GP to change her nominated pharmacy to one that provides delivery services. One attendee shared that her daughter-in-law had been prescribed antibiotics for a kidney infection. Her son went to five different pharmacies and ended up having to drive 25 miles away to be able to get the antibiotics. She added that more pharmacies need to be open on a Sunday. The group also raised difficulties getting hold of pharmacies when contacting them by phone, ordering repeat prescriptions as they struggle to pronounce the names of their medications, and returning unused prescribed medicines as pharmacies refuse them.
A number of the attendees also spoke to us about issues around travel and access, with one attendee struggling to book onto the Ring and Ride service to attend the club on the day of our visit. Another attendee was having issues organising her hearing aid check-up due to having limited mobility, being housebound and not being able to get a home visit, and two attendees shared that they have to take two buses or pay for a taxi to attend their podiatrist appointments due to having difficulties walking.
Other feedback to come out of the conversation included an attendee sharing that he needed support to use his second-hand computer. We advised him that Walsall Connected hold IT classes at his local library. We also heard from another attendee on her experience attending her local hospital. She had an X-ray after falling and was discharged with a sprain, but she received a call the next day to say that she had broken her leg. She received an apology, but she is still upset over the experience. We advised that she speak to Time2Talk.
Following this community conversation, our involvement team has passed the concerns raised to the Time2Talk team and the Head of Medicines for the pharmacy feedback. They have also updated the digital team about learning/training in the community.
The Guru Nanak Satsang Gurdwara on Cannock Road, Wolverhampton sees around 1000 people each week, offering prayers and supporting the local community with a community kitchen. Every year they organise a trip to India, where they visit a different school to raise awareness of the harm of drugs and alcohol and to sponsor a child’s education.
We attended the gurdwara with a member of the Macmillan team to speak to attendees and to provide cancer awareness resources and materials in Punjabi. A lot of attendees came to speak to us, but the majority were women who discussed cancer screening, checking themselves and tests, as well as MMR, flu and COVID-19 vaccinations and the measles outbreak.
When discussing cancer screening, we heard that there was confusion regarding receiving appointment letters. Attendees shared that they need someone to help translate them, but then they end up ignoring them because they may have attended a screening appointment years before. They said they thought it was a one-off visit and not something they needed to return for routinely.
We also spoke to attendees about GP services, particularly around access and triage. They expressed that they don’t feel comfortable being triaged over the phone by receptionists and they questioned the ability and knowledge of the staff. They also shared that there was a lack of trust and certainty when it came to the confidentiality of personal matters. We explained why this approach is taken and how it’s used to save time and free up appointments by ensuring that patients go to the right practitioner.
One attendee shared his experience with his local GP practice, sharing that he still finds it easier to call the practice for an appointment, but that he can never get one on the same day. He said he didn’t understand why, as the practice now has more staff. When he tried the online triage, he was offered an appointment in two weeks’ time, which made him feel less important.
Following the feedback received on cancer screening, the Macmillan team are looking into the communications around screening invitations and the clarity around the frequency of the appointments.
We visited the Hope Community Project, which was founded in 1985 to support families, children, young people and the elderly in the Heath Town Ward. The services of the project have changed over the years to reflect the needs of the local community, but it currently provides outreach work, home visits, support to families and signposting to local facilities. The project also runs groups for carers, toddlers, children and over 50s, as well as English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) groups, friendship groups, lunch groups and a café of reminiscence, a group for bereavement.
We learnt that the area has a growing population of refugees and migrants, who are many of the people the project now supports.
During the conversation, we heard that a lot of refugees and migrants suffer from poor dental health and struggle to see a dentist as the nearest surgery is in Bilston which people have to get to by bus. Those who have managed to go said the dentists gave their children fluoride to help protect their teeth.
We also heard that many health messages are ignored as they aren’t provided in the right language. If they are available in other languages, this is usually written in smaller print which isn’t clear or obvious. The project shared that there are 56 languages spoken in Heath Town and they have asked us to share any translated communications with them for wider sharing in the community. The project also spoke about the fear people have around attending healthcare appointments due to deportation, adding that this is a particular problem with pregnant women as babies are being born with health conditions that haven’t been picked up and expectant mothers aren’t taking vitamin D or folic acid supplements.
The project shared that they offer free sim cards with texts and minutes through the Good Things Foundation, but they get regular requests for IT equipment to stay connected. We mentioned the Black Country Connected programme and how it works, and they have expressed an interest in arranging a group referral to the programme.
Following this conversation, we have referred the Hope Community Project to the Black Country Connected Programme team and we are arranging to meet with the project’s volunteers who are consultants with lived experience. They were also invited to join the Welcome to Wolverhampton event and their feedback has been included in the review of the NHS Black Country Joint Forward Plan.
New Life Church is a community church in Wall Heath, Dudley. It has been a part of the local community since 1949, starting out as a small group meeting in a home. As well as church services, they also run numerous church-based activities, host external groups and have a community café which is open across the week. They welcome around 300 people into the church each week, and they work with around 2,000 people in the wider community each year.
We attended the church to speak to attendees about their experiences and the services the church provides.
We found that the community café offers a space that enables local residents and community groups to feel supported in improving their health and wellbeing. An example of this is High Flyers, a registered charity based in Wombourne that supports adults with learning disabilities. Some of its service users are from Dudley and other Black Country areas, and they use the church and community café once a week. They said that they feel welcome there and free to express themselves without being judged, and that having the opportunity to use the space helps to build confidence, especially when interacting with other local residents and being in a busy environment.
One gentleman shared the challenges he has faced with health services, particularly regarding a lack of communication and miscommunication following his heart failure. He and his wife didn’t wish to make a complaint, but they wanted to provide feedback to the hospital involved with his care to express how they feel. Since speaking with us, they have been in contact with the hospital’s Patient Advice and Liaison Service to talk to them about their experience.
The church also mentioned that they needed support in contacting diabetes and dementia support services and potential groups to help vulnerable residents develop their confidence in technology and using digital devices.
Following our visit, the church has been liaising with a contact from Alzheimer’s Society who will be attending their Wednesday seniors' group on 15 May, which falls on Dementia Awareness Week. A Volunteer Outreach and Partnerships Officer from Diabetes UK has also contacted the church to start the process of getting a support group set up, and we have contacted Digital Dynasties, a project delivered by Black Country Housing Group, to help set up a digital skills workshop.
Mencap is a national organisation that has been supporting people with/affected by learning disabilities for 78 years. At Beckminster Methodist Church in Wolverhampton, they run the Gateway Forum every Friday evening, which allows adults with learning needs to come together, access support and enjoy social activities. The forum gives attendees the opportunity to go on trips, such as to the theatre and on residential stays, and it has also been working to make Wolverhampton City Centre a safer place for people with learning needs by having an agreement with familiar shops and cafes.
We attended the Members Forum elections, where attendees are invited to put themselves forward to represent the group as part of the forum. The candidates spoke about what is important to them, what they would like to achieve and how they can help the forum, so it was a good opportunity for us to hear the views of the community and what matters most to them.
One candidate spoke about mental health and his aim to improve this through group workshops and being there for people who need to talk. He talked about bereavement, how it affected him and how people with learning needs may feel the impacts of bereavement harder than others. He also spoke about other barriers they experience, such as bullying and work, and how these issues can affect confidence. He said that more opportunities for support with mental health would help the group.
Safeguarding around fire safety was raised, with one candidate expressing that they wish to check the building regulations, organise some training and raise awareness of what people should do if they have a fire at home. Health was also a key topic, with the idea of having online healthy cooking events and sessions on growing vegetables being suggested. A lot of the group agreed that more support is needed to help people lose weight and eat healthily.
When speaking to us, the club leader mentioned that they don’t have a local forum in place for young people with learning needs. To do this, they need more funds and volunteers. We advised them to raise this at Community Cohesion Forum for guidance. Since the meeting, we have spoken to the public health commissioning team to try and organise some suitable weight management support and sessions, and we have also reported issues raised around hate crime to the local police reporting system. They have confirmed that they will attend the group to discuss this further.
We visited the Friendship Group at The Hub at Ashmore Park, Wolverhampton. The group, which is run by volunteers, was set up for local people to socialise and to help reduce isolation in the community. We were joined by one of our contacts from City of Wolverhampton Council who has started a social care coproduction forum. As a lot of attendees of the group are older and have a range of social care issues, we took the opportunity to introduce our contact and discuss the forum and how they can get involved.
A lot of the feedback we received from the group was positive, with attendees feeling happy with their experiences of health services. A few attendees said they have found it easier to get a GP appointment from their local practice, and another attendee shared his experience as a carer, praising Compton Care for their support and help when he was going through a difficult time.
One attendee, who was 74, shared that he was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) two years ago. When he noticed he wasn’t feeling well a few weeks ago, he called his GP practice and got an appointment the same day. They were concerned over his blood pressure, so he started seeing a nurse daily and had some tests carried out at New Cross Hospital within the week. His blood pressure is now under control and he said that he was very happy with the service he received. He also mentioned that he never knew that he was entitled to Personal Independent Payment (PIP) or a blue badge, which he discovered from Age UK six months ago.
Following the meeting, the group has asked our involvement team to keep them informed on their upcoming People Panels, and the team will be visiting St Alban’s Church for their Hub4Grub morning which is held on Tuesdays, 9am – 11am. The team has also contacted the patient experience team at New Cross Hospital for advice on whether PIP and blue badge information is given out in the COPD clinic.
February 2024
The ICS Cancer team did a bus tour to promote cancer screening services and health checks across the Black Country.
We attended the bus tour at Market Square in Wolverhampton, where the team were busy with people queuing to speak to them. Around 20 health checks were performed in the first two hours.
We took this opportunity to speak to some of the attendees and volunteers about their experiences.
One man who attended was 67 and wanted to take the opportunity to have a health check after finding out that he was prediabetic previously. He said that since then, he has taken steps to improve his diet and that he does regular light exercise, which has helped him to lose weight and turn his health around.
We also spoke to a mother of two after she had her health check, which found that she had high blood pressure. She was going to go to her GP to get it checked and consider some lifestyle changes.
A volunteer from Diabetes UK shared her experience of being diagnosed with type 1.5 diabetes, which was something no-one, including some of the GPs she had spoken to, had heard of. She explained that having type 1.5 diabetes essentially means that she is type 1 (having to inject insulin), but that she had been diagnosed later in life in her mid-fifties. She said that a healthy diet is really important and that, while she had always exercised regularly and eaten well before her diagnosis, changing to a diet of less carbohydrates and more protein, fruit and vegetables has significantly improved her health and made managing her diabetes easier.
Many of the attendees we spoke to were appreciative of the staff and the bus initiative, and they liked that health opportunities were being taken into the community. This feedback has been passed on to the ICS Cancer team.
HOPE (Homeless Opportunity Prepare Engage) is a forum run by The Good Shepherd, a Wolverhampton-based charity that works to end homelessness, support recovery, and create pathways out of poverty. The group was relaunched six months ago following the COVID-19 pandemic and it runs monthly. It includes people with lived experience, who support those experiencing homelessness by offering advice, guidance, counselling, food and skills to become independent.
We attended the forum to speak to attendees about their experiences.
One attendee shared her own experience of homelessness, the impact it has on physical and long-term health and the ideas she has to improve the system-wide approach to homelessness. She explained that when you present yourself as homeless to the council, you are left to fend for yourself without any information, which results in sleeping rough and struggling to find food for around 52 days. She said that there is a lot of support available that can help during this period, such as food banks and other organisations, but that this is unknown to the people who find themselves in this situation. She would like the council to provide clear information on foodbank locations, meal service locations and times, and where to go for support for claiming benefits and emergency shelters.
The Good Shepherd also told us about their rules around drugs. They explained that they are not allowed under their services as they prevent recovery and can put their organisation at risk, and that they are looking at surveillance and support workers to help overcome the challenge.
During our visit, we shared information on our next Wolverhampton People Panel, and The Good Shepherd asked us to pass the feedback we received from the forum over to the council. They expressed that they would like to codesign work with the council as experts by experience.
Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust delivers six-week self-management courses to help people manage long-term conditions. On 19 February, the Trust held an event for the people attending the current course so that they could learn more about local services in Walsall.
Our involvement team attended the event to give a presentation about their work, the Black Country Integrated Care Board, People Panels, Patient Participation Groups, extended access, the Time2Talk service, and how people can get involved. The team had a stall at the event, which enabled attendees to get more information and speak about their experiences of healthcare services with members of the team. They were also able to get more information on the Time2Talk service and sign up to keep in touch and get involved.
We received a lot of feedback about GP services, with a concern over the way patients are spoken to by reception staff when calling for appointments. A woman with a disability shared that she had to queue outside her GP practice at 8am to get an appointment, to be told that she had to come back the next day. She asked why practices can’t have specific slots for people with disabilities, and we advised on other services she could use, such as the NHS App for repeat prescriptions and NHS 111.
We heard from another attendee about his struggles to get a dental appointment, as well as two wheelchair users about their access issues on pavements and roads. One had no choice but to cross a busy road to be able to get on her bus, as the pavement is not suitable for her wheelchair near the bus stop. The other shared how he struggles getting down pavements due to all the parked cars, and how he has been shouted at for his chair accidentally scratching them. When he went into the road to get around the cars to avoid this, he was shouted at again. This was also brought up at our March People Panel, and a conversation has been initiated with the council to hear these experiences directly and to work with local residents on possible solutions.
From the conversations had at this event, we recorded several concerns for the Time2Talk service. We have also shared the feedback provided on GP services to Time2Talk and the Head of Primary Care.
Places of welcome offer neighbourhoods a safe and warm place where people can go for a friendly conversation and free refreshments, if and when they need it. There are currently 16 places of welcome across Dudley, which run at varying times during the week.
Carters Lane Baptist Church, Halesowen
We attended Carters Lane Baptist Church on 16 February, which runs from 10.30am – 12pm every Friday. There were over 40 people in attendance, and you could see that attendees were enjoying catching up with friends over a cup of tea.
We heard that places of welcome have helped reduce social isolation, and that they have built a network of people who can help and support one another. Attendees shared that this has improved their health, wellbeing and happiness beyond the 1.5 hour weekly slot.
We were asked about the possibility of health checks being carried out at places of welcome locations, as well as someone coming to the community groups to talk about which NHS services are available and identifying which service they need.
Following this conversation, we have shared our ‘Think which service’ campaign leaflets with the church and we have asked our contacts at ABL Health and Dudley People Health to look at the possibility of on-site health checks. We have also informed the church about Healthy Aging Champions so that they can organise for some information, advice and guidance sessions to be held there.
Hasbury Community Church, Halesowen
We attended Hasbury Community Church on 23 February, which runs from 11.30am – 1.30pm every Friday. With just over 10 attendees, we were able to hear more views on health services and where people feel that development is needed.
The most common theme from the conversation was that the group were unsure about which NHS services they should access. They said that they would welcome support in identifying which services they should use and how best to access them.
The attendees shared that they are pleased with their NHS experiences to date, but they did suggest that they don’t wish to apply additional pressure on health services.
Following this conversation, we have contacted the communications team for support on health service advice, and we will continue to share our ‘Think which service’ campaign materials with community groups.
The Beacon is a support service for people with drug and alcohol addiction in Walsall. They provide support groups, one-to-one sessions, medical services and a free needlestick service for drug users.
We attended to speak to some of their service users about their experiences of addiction and health services as a drop-in session.
We heard how industrial action has impacted hospital appointments, with one attendee sharing how his appointment had been cancelled without him being notified. This attendee also told us that he has to attend four different hospitals for support with his ankles, back, teeth and mental health. He gets to his appointments by taxi, bus or lifts from friends.
We also heard from another attendee who moved here from Pakistan 12 years ago. He had a heavy drug addiction and got involved in crimes to fund his habit. He told us about his time in Birmingham Prison, where he experienced racist attacks. He said he felt that racism is rife in prison, and that being released was refreshing as he didn’t feel targeted or vulnerable anymore, although he still feels stereotyped due to his appearance and ethnicity. His experiences have motivated him to turn his life around, and he said that Change Grow Live has supported him to stay clean for two years. He now tries to regularly support others attending the group by taking them for a hot drink, as nearly everyone who uses the service is homeless.
We were also informed that COVID-19 vaccinations were compulsory in prisons if people wanted their leave, which has caused a lack of trust around vaccinations. We have shared this feedback with our communications and vaccinations team for consideration for future messaging.
Overall, this was a very insightful conversation that gave us a look into the struggles of those fighting with addiction, prison life, and how The Beacon has provided valuable support to the people of Walsall. We have discussed re-visiting The Beacon to attend one of their support groups, and we are currently planning a community conversation at a local prison alongside this to hear more about the experiences of those living in prison and the transition into using NHS services upon their release.
The Beacon Centre in Sedgley offers a range of services that support people living with sight conditions, such as cataracts, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, tunnel vision and glaucoma. They were first established in 1875, and their vision is to have a society where people value and protect their sight, and where visual impairments do not limit or determine opportunities.
Some of the services Beacon offers include a lifestyle centre, community sports and social sessions, IT support, employment, training and volunteering support, and sight loss advice, befriending and care services.
We attended to speak to some of the members about their experiences, with the conversations mainly focusing on accessing appointments and accessibility in communication methods.
The members we spoke to shared that not knowing how to book or access appointments has caused unnecessary stress for them, their families and their carers. They said that having knowledge on how to book appointments and access information, advice and guidance (IAG) sessions would help improve the health, wellbeing and happiness of those who live with visual impairments. Beacon also asked if it would be possible for healthcare professionals to come and offer health checks at their sites.
During the conversation, we were also informed of the various communication methods we could use to ensure that the accessibility needs of people with visual impairments are met. We learnt that, while braille is still in use, there is now more of a shift towards digital and audio methods of communication, such as Alexas and Apple HomePods, Black Country Radio and through Beacon’s Talking News service that takes place every Thursday.
Following this community conversation, our involvement team will be looking to utilise Beacon’s Talking News service to help promote their upcoming People Panels and other schemes and initiatives. We have also asked our contacts at ABL Health and Dudley People Health to look at the possibility of Beacon having on-site health checks for its members.
