‘You Said – We Did’ April 2025

Our activity in April 2025 included:

You Said

An individual contacted us as they had an upcoming hospital appointment but were unable to travel by themselves and wanted to know if hospital transport was available.

We did

We explained the options and shared contact details for the Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service (NEPTS) which is provided locally by EMED, along with information on the eligibility criteria.

You Said

We heard from someone with complex needs who needed assistance with a civil court case related to health and care and required support to identify their options.

We did

We clarified their situation and provided details of several organisations who could potentially support them, including Support Through Court, Advocate, Law Works and The Law Society.

You Said

A person contacted us as they wanted physiotherapy to help maintain their balance and stability after a fall but were unable to obtain a referral via their GP.

We did

We advised patients can now self-refer to MSK online for such services, but as they were unable to access the internet, we gave them the contact details for MSK services so they could request a physical form.

You Said

An individual receiving treatment at a hospital in another county contacted us to ask if they had the right to transfer to a hospital closer to their own home.  

We did

We advise the individual that the Right to Choose does not apply if you are already receiving treatment when you seek a transfer. We provided details for PALS at both hospitals to see if they could help.

Our Contributions and interventions

• We received an enquiry from a patient who had visited their GP practice to make an appointment, but was told they would be unable to do so in the surgery, and they would need to telephone or use the online booking system. The patient wanted to know if GP practices should allow people to make an appointment face-to-face. We informed the patient about the principles of Modern General Practice and contacted the ICB to clarify the booking methods GP practices must offer.
• We heard feedback that patients were experiencing long waits and journey times for Non-Emergency Patient Transport (NEPTS), and the website booking process was paused. We shared this feedback with NHS Sussex (the commissioner) and EMED who deliver the NEPTS service. We are meeting EMED to discuss how they will respond to this feedback and monitor service performance in the future.
• We met with colleagues developing the new Neighborhood Mental Health Teams (NMHT), to discuss how Healthwatch and the NMHTs can work together to ensure patients are getting the support they. We are also exploring how Healthwatch may help capture user feedback and use this to inform how the service develops.
• HWES staff attended the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment Steering Group with colleagues from the ICB, local authority and other partners to discuss the data and insight gathered from the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA). We contributed to the development of recommendations that respond to the needs identified, including how pharmacy provision will be monitored moving forwards.