Hello from Kiki – Healthwatch Greenwich Engagement Manager
This month we’ve been all over the borough including Thamesmead, Woolwich, Plumstead and we’ve visited a number of groups. We joined a coffee morning at Willow Dene School, chatting with parents about their good and not so good experiences with GP surgeries.
Parents told us about the wonderful staff who always go the extra mile to help but that it’s hard to get an appointment and waiting times for appointments can be long. We also heard that some practices are better than others when it comes to really listening to parents and their special needs children. At Parent Power, new mums told us about their experience of maternity services at Queen Elizabeth Hospital - and how it could be better.
Our volunteers hit the streets to collect information on dentistry. After the pandemic, many local residents told us how difficult it was to find a dentist offering NHS services and many (who could do so) had to pay for private dental treatment. We want to find out if things have improved – or not. We’ll share this feedback to highlight where things are working well and help improve health services for all.
Last but not least, we took part in a ‘cost of living’ panel at Greenwich University, where we spoke about how the cost of living crisis is affecting local people.
We're thrilled with the success of our engagement efforts, gathering valuable feedback and opinions from a diverse range of individuals and communities.
If you're interested in getting involved with Healthwatch Greenwich or have feedback to share about local health or care services, please visit our website or contact us directly. We'd love to hear from you!
