Out and About in Coventry: Community Voices

Who are Coventry Vision Hub 

This is a friendly, warm, and welcoming  organisation who supports people with sight loss, who are partially sighted or blind within Coventry and the surrounding areas. They run creative groups, support groups. The organisation provides specialist housing, activities, and support, including technology skills  for people who are blind or partially sighted. 

As Healthwatch we are interested in finding out how people access NHS services, we hear a lot of comments about some of the challenges people have to get a GP appointment, especially when using an App. 

We are looking at this in more depth to provide information and knowledge for when we launch our NHS app survey.  

We want to understand how people with sight loss experience health and social care services. We also want to hear how they find using digital technology, especially apps to organise their appointments and health care. Currently GPs and the NHS in general are moving toward using online services. Blind and partially sighted people are considered among those who are least likely to use services because of the barriers they face. People with sight loss, sometimes struggle to use systems and medication safely. According to the RNIB health and care services are disconnected from the requirements of people with sight loss. 

We developed a series of questions to enable a discussion between the group members, and this is what the group told us.

University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire 

• “The hospital (UHCW) Eye department for glaucoma are impossible to speak to, so are cardiology.” 

• “I had an eye operation in UHCW– the surgeon went on leave, they didn’t get in touch, I was transferred to Birmingham eye department – so different (very positive)” 

• “The hospitals don’t work together,  but after that they were brilliant in Birmingham.” 

• “All in all, eye appointments at UHCW haven’t improved.”  

• “To travel [to appointments outside of Cov]  my wife has to take me or pay for Uber – very expensive.” 

• If you want to go to glaucoma department it is a whole day job. 

• “I asked to get someone to help me at UHCW  in outpatients as I am partially sighted, there was no one came to help me” 

Appointments with GPs 

• “If I need my local doctor, or chemist I get my sister to phone them for me.” 

• “If I want to get repeat prescriptions, I use the App.”  

• “Last week the GP app went online, but no one told me until I tried to order my repeat meds. I rang the receptionist who said it was not there, and I had to book onto the new system. The receptionist said I had to go to Surgery to pick up a paper copy to take to the chemist.”  

• “My doctors will send it [meds] to the pharmacist, and they will deliver it to me.” Several members were surprised at this and wanted to know which GP it was. 

• Another person had a terrible time trying to get to the mobile unit at City of Coventry Health Centre – no one told him where it was or helped him to get there. They had no idea where they were. No one was available to help – where have volunteers gone. 

Using digital devices  

• “For appointment reminders we get texts, our phones have speaking facility in Apple, called Text to Speech, to listen to messages and , in Android this is called Talk Back.” 

• “But if there is a button it just says button, not what it does or where it takes you, or what you need to do.” 

• “I don’t like the fact that everyone pushes to go on online, we have a huge population. They say, “can’t you get someone to help you with it – this is frustrating and demoralising,  I think you should be able to call someone up.” 

• For one  younger person who is used to the system  works well – they have been brought up with digital technology -not a problem but for older members who are used to telephone calling the GP, online booking forms can be very difficult.  

• “I am lucky with my GP Practice, - it has gone to triage, but as long as they listen without [the receptionist]answer, get to the right button, and go to the automatic repeat prescription. And order it to the pharmacy – this couldn’t be better.” 

Training and learning 

• People with sight loss benefit from training on how to use apps, they have to learn new skills, hand usage of the phone, touch typing  and listening. 

• I have training through the hub -with Kyle for apps,  

• “Someone teaches me the steps” build up the foundation to work from,  

• “Taught how to use a phone in a way that can be understood, I can’t see to play with the phone,”  

• “I don’t trust my phone;  I still want to talk to medical people – if you are on your own you have to speak to someone.” 

Experience of health system 

• “I was at the beginning of macular degeneration , I was referred to Warwick Clinic, , I was given 6 monthly appointments for glaucoma,  I  had an appointment for a vision field test, , a doctor called me next day and said take a seat, they were looking at a printout said “who diagnosed you with glaucoma? You haven’t got glaucoma”,(shouting) 

• Had cataracts done in Coventry not Warwick they were fine, I was referred to the Coventry vision clinic and then to Vision Hub (here) the best thing ever, (been coming ever since) here I learnt to touch type – can use Smart phone, hearing aids are linked to phone – but it needed a lot of learning, using gesture practice.” 

• “It can be a security risk if you ask someone else to do it for you – demoralising to have to ask people to find things for you.” 

Appointments in advance  for Outpatients, eye department, and cardiology 

• “They said to make another appointment in 3 months, they used to write it down and give you a card, I didn’t get a reminder for appointment I phoned manager who said I hadn’t got an appointment – its lost in the system. Specialists don’t realise what it is like – the process, who is supported to do something.”  

• “But can now get appointments on a Saturday  and Sunday” – positive. 

• “Nurses and doctors do a fantastic job.” 

• “I have changed doctors to make it more accessible to me.”