What we’re hearing about Guildford & Waverley – November 2024

Based on what we are hearing from local people, our report focusses on 3 key areas:

• Respiratory
• Key neighbourhoods
• Royal Surrey County Hospital.

Based on our findings we have also suggested the following outcomes we would like to see for patients:

• Residents are provided with sufficient information (including signposting to further sources of support) at the time of initial diagnosis in order to feel confident managing their condition.
• Children diagnosed with asthma are provided with age appropriate educational materials to support them.
• Residents attending GP practices in the key neighbourhoods of Westborough and Stoke:
  • Feel confident that they are able to book GP appointments in a way which suits them.
  • Understand the triage process and how it works for them.
• The process around telephone consultations with clinicians at Royal Surrey County Hospital is clearly communicated to patients and patients are kept informed regarding delays or changes.
• Patients are clearly signposted to PALS at Royal Surrey County Hospital and know how the team can support them.

The report was shared with the Guildford and Waverley Alliance who are taking forward a number of actions in response to the recommendations, including:

• The start of a programme of work that will empower Guildford residents with respiratory conditions to effectively manage their health by providing access to key support services, social prescribing opportunities and digital remote monitoring tools from the point of diagnosis
• A Beating Asthma together webinar for parents
• Presentations on asthma management at school assemblies across Surrey
• Regularly meetings with the local Patient Participation Group (PPG) chairs to understand how the communication with patient groups around any changes to access is taking place
• Adding posters alerting patients to the PALS service at Royal Surrey County Hospital to all outpatient departments, and reviewing letters, information leaflets and the website to determine whether signposting to PALS can be clearer.