Healthwatch Calderdale has been asked by Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust (CHFT) to gather feedback about access to telephone and video health care (such as telephone or video appointments) from local people who:
- do not speak English at all/people who have only a very basic command of English/limited English proficiency
- are older and/or frail
- have a disability, including people with a physical or mobility impairment, sensory impairment
- mental health condition
- learning disability
- developmental disability
- cognitive impairment or long term condition
If you consider yourself to be in any of the above groups and live in Calderdale or Kirklees, or represent someone who is in those groups who lives in Calderdale or Kirklees, please share your views with Healthwatch Calderdale. Everything you tell them will be anonymous – but your feedback will help to shape future changes and make a positive difference.
How To Give Your Feedback
Online or printable survey:
- The online survey can be accessed via this link: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6CCS7KS,
- Or people can download/print off a copy of the Survey if they prefer to use a paper copy and then return it to Healthwatch Calderdale (address is at the end of form).
Further information
Leaflet illustrating how the video care would work: Patient Leaflet – Video Calls explained (pdf download)
Examples of clinics that are using more phone or video appointments to communicate with patients
Colorectal telephone assessment service:
Patients with bowel complaints that GPs have assessed as needing an urgent referral. The first point of contact is a phone call from a junior doctor or nurse specialist. Patients are given a 30 mins timed appointment slot and receive a phone call.
The purpose is to get detailed and often sensitive information about the condition, then the clinician will advise the next steps such as having a test or scan before seeing the doctor. The phone clinics are held every afternoon between 12-5pm.
Current ‘exclusions’ are as follows and the GP makes the call re suitability:
• Hard of hearing
• Do not speak English
• Have learning difficulties
• Very frail and elderly
• Requested face to face appointment
• No telephone
Virtual Fracture Clinic (VFC):
Patients attend A&E with a fracture and are told they will be contacted over the next few days by the VFC team between 9am and 4pm.
The patients are called. If they don’t respond they are sent a text reminder and asked to call the VFC number back. The nurse calls the patient to tell them what the consultant has decided, this can be just discharge with advice and guidance, to come back to a face to face clinic or to go for an x-ray etc. 35% of patients are discharged directly so benefit from not coming into a face to face meeting.
‘Exclusion’ criteria are:
• Hard of hearing
• English not the first language
• Have learning difficulties
• Very frail and elderly- dementia
• No telephone
Telephone consultations:
Usually where patients have a follow up by phone rather than by face to face.
This is most likely where there are no hands on examinations required and may be just to give some test results.
Starting to happen in most services by booked appointment time (as would a face to face) and usually by agreement at the first visit following a chat with the doctor or nurse.
Contacting Healthwatch Calderdale
If you wish to find out more, or get in touch, please call Healthwatch Calderdale on 01422 399433 or email:
Karen Huntley: karen.huntley@healthwatchcalderdale.co.uk or
Jo Budgen: jo.budgen@healthwatchcalderdale.co.uk
