Impact and Performance Reports: July - September 2025 (Q2)

At a Glance

During Quarter 2, we focused on amplifying local voices, supporting individuals navigating care, and strengthening partnerships across the health and care system. 

Key areas of work included women’s health, youth engagement, social value, and improving access to essential services.

Supporting local people to navigate health and care

• 4, 424 enquiries to Helpdesk/frontline team
• Engaged with 22,465 local people and heard from you about what matters most, your experiences, priorities and what works well and health and social care services that are not meeting your needs.  
• 14 people signposted to IHCAS for ongoing advocacy support

Top Concerns

1. GP Services
2. Urgent & Emergency Care
3. Inpatient Care

Highest number of enquiries about:

• Treatment / Care (76)
• Waiting Times (36)
• Staffing/Staff Attitudes (31)

Top services signposted to:

• Healthwatch Website
• GP Surgeries
• PALS
• ICB
• West Sussex county council, local authority or social services^*

^{*Calls about social care, elderly living arrangements or housing issue.}

Engagement with Young People

The team met around 800 young people at Freshers Fairs across West Sussex, gathering real-time feedback on service priorities .

Young People’s Top 3 Service Priorities

1. Mental Health – #1 priority for the 3rd year
2. Urgent & Emergency Care – rising concern
3. GP Services – consistent concern across years

Young people shared personal experiences, less about friends/family (shift from 2024).

Influencing National Decisions

From our insight collection and work with local organisations, we responded to the government highlighting reproductive health conditions for girls and young women, in reference to the Women's Health Strategy: 2024 priorities - GOV.UK

Key Points Raised:

• The submission challenges the assumption that Women’s Health Hubs (WHHs) are widely available.
• Some GP practices have lost key women's health skills (e.g., pessary fitting, endometriosis care) post-COVID.
• Services are inconsistent, disjointed, and poorly connected.
• Women report feeling: Dismissed or not believed by healthcare professionals and/or not treated with dignity, respect, or cultural sensitivity.
• Endometriosis affects 1 in 10 women and is still widely misunderstood with average diagnosis time is nearly 9 years (as of 2024).

Progressing Local Priorities

Work this quarter included:

• Supporting local events such as the Summer Mental Health & Wellbeing Information Event in Bognor Regis.
• Sharing insights with NHS Sussex and participating in Local Community Networks.
• Conducting statutory Enter & View visits to hospitals and GP surgeries .
• Feeding into key meetings such as the Health & Wellbeing Board and Scrutiny Committees.