‘You Said – We Did’ May 2025

Our activity in May 2025 included:

You Said

We received a call from an individual who wanted to make a complaint about their GP and pharmacy but was unsure how to go about this. 

We did

We shared our updated complaints guide,  and details of The Advocacy People who support complainants and NHS Sussex as the commissioner of these services, as the caller didn’t want to complain directly to the service providers.

You Said

The Sanctuary Café contacted us as a client’s NHS registration confirmation letter included incorrect information, and their GP was unable to rectify this.

We did

We provided the contact details for Primary Care Support England which manages patient registrations, and issues the confirmation letters, so that the mistake could be corrected.

You Said

A parent contacted us seeking support from an advocate to help with the implementation of their child’s Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).

We did

The enquirer was not eligible for community advocacy from South West Advocacy Network (SWAN) but we shared details of SEND mediation services and the support available for families with disabled children.

You Said

An individual phoned us seeking help regarding a challenging situation with their supported housing and communication with their contact at Adult Social Care.

We did

We provided information about how to make a complaint to the services in question and referred them for for community advocacy support from SWAN to help them engage with Adult Social Care  effectively.

Our Contributions and interventions

• We attended Bexhill Primary Care Network’s (PCN) Health and Wellness event at the De La Warr Pavillion to engage local people, meet the PCN team, and connect with other local organisations. We learnt about the services and support available in Bexhill, had insightful conversations with attendees about their experiences of health and social care, offering information and signposting advice where appropriate.
• We joined the Fishermen’s Mission ‘Seafit’ Health & Wellbeing event at Newhaven Fish & Flake Society at Newhaven Docks, supporting people with their enquiries and listening to the fishing community about their experiences of health and social care, particularly challenges in obtaining Seafarer medical certificates which we have since raised with NHS Sussex.
• We have started meeting regularly with Care for the Carers to discuss how we can work together to ensure the voices of carers are being heard across East Sussex. We agreed to attend their annual Carers Voice and work in collaboration in relation to hospital discharge during 2025.
• We heard how delays in timely access to wheelchairs was affecting local people. We raised the issue with NHS commissioners, asking for reassurance about plans to deal with the backlog and reduce wait times. Steps to address this were shared, as were updates on the future re-commissioning of wheelchair services locally.