Patients reveal effects of COVID delays to planned care in partnership with Healthwatch

Back in June 2021, the impact of the initial outbreak of COVID-19 in the UK had forced the NHS to postpone a huge amount of planned care activity to free up staff and beds for patients seriously ill with the virus.

Like millions of people across the country, the West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership's Planned Care Citizens’ Panel members, all patients on the waiting list, were told their planned care procedure would be delayed.

That month, a new citizens’ panel was introduced in partnership with Healthwatch in West Yorkshire to support communications around delays to planned care services. The panel of nine volunteers from across the area, all patients on the waiting list for planned care, was in place for 12 weeks from June to September 2021.

The aim was to support communications around these delays to planned care services, and to give those responsible for care a patient’s perspective as services were being brought back across West Yorkshire.

Catherine Thompson, Associate Director for the Partnership’s Planned Care Alliance, who chaired all the panel meetings, said: “Panel members knew from first-hand experience the impact that waiting was having on their health, lifestyle, personal circumstances, and on their friends and families.

"That’s why they were determined to work with us to help others in the same position. At that time, we knew we had a long way to go, and we were very privileged to be able to work with patient representatives who were so willing to support us along the way.”

'Confidence to ask questions'

Panel members, adult volunteers from across West Yorkshire, met online for two hours every fortnight for 12 weeks. At these meetings, hospital managers, clinicians and other colleagues from across the Partnership shared details with them about the work taking place to reduce the backlog of planned care cases caused by the pandemic.

Panel members shared their own experiences of waiting for treatment, asked relevant and important questions, and provided a great deal of valuable feedback.

The panel’s experiences, concerns and views have helped to focus services on what matters most to those affected by the delays to planned care - the patients and those people close to them.

Involvement in the panel has also been beneficial for panel members, including Sara, who said: “Being members of the Planned Care Citizens’ Panel gave us all the opportunity to share our experiences and raise concerns, to help things progress and improve for everyone on the waiting list.

"From a personal point of view, this involvement gave me more confidence to ask questions, and to look at ways to improve my health and wellbeing whilst waiting.”