Healthwatch Gloucestershire 10 Healthwatch Gloucestershire volunteer Ernie gathering feedback during the tour Campervan Tour: helping more people have their say A roadshow travelled almost 400 miles around Gloucestershire to find out the views of local people on health and care services. More than 500 views were collected. Healthwatch Gloucestershire staff and volunteers took to the roads in a classic 1969 VW campervan and parked up at 11 key locations all over Gloucestershire to gather the views and experiences of people of all ages. The most popular topic of conversation centred around waiting times for GP appointments, with mixed responses from across the county. James from Stroud gave his views on his local GP service, “I have been a patient at my surgery for many years, it has changed a lot in that time. In some areas it has deteriorated, in others I think it is better than it was. I like being able to get phone appointments if a doctor is unable to see me, however the waits for face-to-face appointments are long.” Reflecting on the tour, Healthwatch Gloucestershire Manager Julia Butler-Hunt added: “A lot of people told us how much they valued and appreciated NHS services, although access to Primary Care was an issue that came up again and again. “We will be reviewing all the feedback and ensuring that these are shared with the delivery and commissioning organisations. We also had feedback about the NHS Long Term Plan which will be valuable information for the local NHS to know what it should do to make care better for Gloucestershire.” The findings of the roadshow will now be compiled into a report which will be shared with the decision-making organisations in Gloucestershire – those that pay for and plan for health and care services in the county. “I thoroughly enjoyed my day spent with the team on the campervan tour, listening to people’s experiences of health and social care.” Healthwatch Gloucestershire volunteer John.
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