New survey wants to hear Covid experiences of Peterborough people

Members of the Board of Directors of Healthwatch Peterborough have announced a new survey on the experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic in our area.

Healthwatch Peterborough are asking members of the public to take part in this new survey to record their experiences and challenges over the last 12-18 months, and asks them ‘what life is like now?’.

New Chair, Stewart Francis taking his first Board of Directors meeting (November 10), said: “The Covid-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on care home residents and on their friends and families and staff.“The last 18 months have been exceptionally stressful and challenging and has had a devastating impact on care homes across England, and for care home residents and their families.

“Despite the dedication of staff in caring for and supporting frail and vulnerable residents, lack of communication, a ban on visiting, unfamiliar masks and new routines created anxiety, confusion and upset for many residents.

“For friends and family members not being able to visit, carry out caring duties or have physical contact with relatives really hit hard, and, tragically, some families were not able to be with loved ones in their final days and moments and didn’t get the chance to say goodbye.

“Healthwatch acknowledges how painful this has been for many families and that it has had a traumatic and lasting impact.

“With your help, our survey will find out about life in local care homes and learn how this has changed and if things are returning to ‘normal, and we will share the findings with local health and care providers so that services can be improved in the future.”Healthwatch Peterborough CEO, Sandie Smith, added: “If you have a care home story to tell us, we’d like to hear it.“Our care home survey aims to capture the experiences of residents and their families.

“Whether it’s a good or bad experience, we can use your feedback to improve services for everyone.“Anything you tell us will be anonymised and shared with NHS and local authority care teams in our area.“Hearing your experiences helps them learn from the challenges and prepare better for the future.”

Anybody wishing to take part in the new survey can find details here: https://www.healthwatchcambridgeshire.co.uk/care-home-survey 

Healthwatch is the independent champion for people who use health and social care services whose sole purpose is to understand the needs, experiences and concerns of people who use health and social care services and to speak out on their behalf, working to get services right for the future.