Get Involved – Help the NHS Tackle Waiting Lists in Devon
01.03.2022
| Healthwatch, one of our leading projects, have been asked to support the NHS in Devon to gather feedback about waiting lists in Devon for elective surgery and care. The role of Healthwatch in this exercise is to host a series of online focus groups to enable members of the public to be directly involved in the conversation and to help the NHS in tackling waiting times for elective care in Devon.
On 8 February 2022, the Department of Health published the NHS Elective Recovery Plan that describes how the NHS will tackle the backlog of care built up during the Covid-19 Pandemic. Elective care refers to medical care or surgery that is planned, for example a knee or hip operation, and not an emergency like a heart attack or car accident for example. Currently, elective and emergency care take place at the same site, using the same theatres, at all of Devon’s acute hospitals (RD&E, NDHT, UHP, TSD). Waiting lists are getting longer because lifesaving emergency care has to take priority over planned care and so emergency cases are prioritised over routine operations and cause cancellations and or delays. Health and care leaders across Devon are working hard to do better for you our patients and also our staff, but we need your help! In a recent survey about your care, you said that you would be happy to be contacted about our work in this area. We are very grateful for this offer and would like to invite you to join us in a conversation about how we can tackle waiting lists in Devon. What is involved? We would like to invite you to a focus group to talk about:
The sessions will be held online via Zoom and you will be fully supported to attend. Health and care managers in partnership with Healthwatch Devon will be hosting these sessions. What to do if you want to be part of the conversation? Focus groups are being held on:
If you would like to take part in any of the groups, please complete this short form giving us your name, contact details and which of the session/s you are available to attend. If you can’t make the dates above, or would prefer to be involved in a different way, you can still click the link and leave us your details. After you have registered your interest further information and all joining details will be sent to your email address. If you have any questions about this engagement – please contact the NHS at: Please note, this email address is a generic inbox and cannot answer specific clinical questions or provide any information about your condition or waiting time for care. |