More than 2,000 residents help shape the future of health and care services in Essex

Faster diagnosis, shorter waiting times and easier access to GP and community services have emerged as the top health and care priorities for people across Essex, following feedback from more than 2,000 residents.

The feedback is in response to an NHS Essex survey inviting people to share their experiences of health and care services and how these can be improved in the next five years. The findings will help inform NHS Essex’s priorities and ensure future decisions reflect what matters most to local communities.

“The people who use our services are best placed to tell us what’s working well and where we need to improve. I’d like to thank everyone who took the time to share their experiences and ideas.

“While we know we won’t be able to solve every challenge overnight, listening to our communities and acting on what they tell us is essential if we’re going to build services that are more accessible, joined up and centred around people’s needs.”

Tom Abell, Chief Executive Officer, NHS Essex

Overall, 70% of respondents rated NHS services as fair, good or very good, however 30% rated their experience of NHS services as poor or very poor.

Survey feedback also showed that a positive experience depends as much on being able to find, access and understand services as it does on the care received.

Respondents also highlighted the importance of prevention, early intervention and support for people living with long term conditions, alongside continued improvements to access and communication.

The findings showed that while people value the care and commitment of NHS staff, they believe there is more work to do to improve access, communication and the overall experience of care.

Health needs and experiences also varied across Essex, providing valuable local insight to help NHS Essex target improvements where they are needed most and reduce health inequalities.

The survey findings will now be used alongside other evidence and local insight to help shape future commissioning priorities, service improvements and investment decisions across Essex. NHS Essex will continue to work with patients, communities and partners to ensure local people remain at the heart of decisions about health and care services.

A summary of the findings and the actions NHS Essex will take in response is available below.