Changes to GP services in pandemic caused huge concern for older Wiganers

Pensioners across the borough have shared their experiences of living through the Covid-19 pandemic for a new report.
Appointments at GP surgeries were replaced with online or virtual consultationsAppointments at GP surgeries were replaced with online or virtual consultations
Appointments at GP surgeries were replaced with online or virtual consultations

The document, commissioned by Age UK Wigan Borough, involved more than 200 people from Wigan and Leigh giving their reasons for optimism and concern during the unprecedented events of 2020.

Some of the strongest criticisms in the report are of GP and health services, with the lack of face-to-face appointments and their replacements by technological and remote options causing major worries.

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NHS Wigan Borough Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has now apologised for any distress caused to people who found it hard to speak to a doctor during the pandemic.

The Clap for Carers last spring was popular with older residentsThe Clap for Carers last spring was popular with older residents
The Clap for Carers last spring was popular with older residents

Service users also spoke of the effect of the pandemic on their physical and mental health, although experiences of lockdown varied widely.

While some people said they had done more walking and exercises others said the confinement had taken a real toll, with the cancellation of organised activities affecting them socially as well as on wellbeing grounds and others saying they had found concentrating on hobbies or tasks difficult.

The report praised the community spirit at the beginning of the pandemic but said gradually this had worn away and recommended building up community strength once again.

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Other issues raised included experiences of the pandemic in care homes, the confusion caused by the official messaging and instructions around Covid-19 and worries that older people were seen as vulnerable rather than making valuable contributions to society.

Age UK Wigan Borough chief officer John McArdleAge UK Wigan Borough chief officer John McArdle
Age UK Wigan Borough chief officer John McArdle

Age UK Wigan Borough chief officer John McArdle said: “We wanted to understand the impact of Covid-19 on local people.

“It has reinforced a lot of what we were hearing about isolation and loneliness but also about the really positive impact of the start of the pandemic bringing communities together.

“I have raised the point locally about accessing NHS services. We have had calls telling us about the difficulties people are experiencing getting through to primary health services. This seems a major issue to me.

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“The overwhelming majority of appointments are video or over the phone, and there are concerns about whether we will be able to recover face-to-face appointments when the pandemic is over. There has to be concerns about this trend towards digital.

Wigan Borough CCG chair Dr Tim DaltonWigan Borough CCG chair Dr Tim Dalton
Wigan Borough CCG chair Dr Tim Dalton

“Over one-third of people said their health was worse than before the pandemic, and when we’ve done welfare calls we’ve spoken to people suffering stress and anxiety.

“We have to have a conversation across the borough about how we recover the best of the pandemic, particularly that sense of community and connectedness.”

The report found fewer people in Wigan than in national surveys said the pandemic had caused no change to their health, with a significant minority saying it was worse and nine per cent saying it was much worse.

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The numbers of people reporting worsening mental health was also higher in Wigan than in England-wide surveys.

Those doing less physical activity said it was largely due to organised classes or activities not running, and the social element of these were also missed.

Some, on the other hand, said they had more time to do tasks such as gardening.

The report also includes testimonies from people who felt adrift and were cut off from friends and family.

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However, technology such as Zoom was thought to be better at keeping friends and loved ones in touch than as a way of running virtual activities such as choirs.

Some of the strongest criticism was reserved for the online and virtual health services which were put in place and expanded during the pandemic.

Frustrated participants spoke of struggling to get through, being unable to use the technology and GPs and nurses not doing home visits.

One person told the researchers: “I feel the elderly in our community have been seriously let down by the local health services.”

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There was also concern about access to services such as shopping, with worries about the safety of public transport and of large supermarkets.

People spoke positively about community, with 45 per cent saying they felt a greater connection with neighbours.

The Clap for Carers and VE Day socially-distanced celebrations led to conversations on the doorsteps and friendships being struck up, the researchers heard.

However, some people also felt they were becoming more isolated from other people, that there was a reluctance to spend time near others, and that the togetherness of the early weeks of lockdown was not maintained.

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The CCG has responded to the concerns about health access in the report.

Dr Tim Dalton, Local GP and CCG chair, said: “We really welcomed this research from Age UK Wigan Borough. I would like to thank them for sharing their findings with us.

“Throughout the pandemic, the CCG has been working closely with our patient groups, and have previously undertaken engagement work on how digital services could work, and so we do recognise the concerns and experiences shared within the report, and are working hard to overcome them.

“Unfortunately, the sudden and dramatic way the pandemic hit us meant that we had to alter the way GP practices worked almost overnight, transferring as much as possible to phone and online for the first lockdown.

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"The fact that all GP practices continued to support patients throughout the turbulence, with sometimes unprecedented levels of demand, is a huge tribute to them.

“We know that not everyone finds accessing services online or over the telephone easy and we are sorry for any increased stress this has caused for some people.

“All GP services continue to support patients over the telephone and do see patients when it is medically appropriate, with the number of patients being seen face-to-face continuing to increase.

“In the early part of the pandemic, we rapidly increased the number of phone lines available within GP practices and are working with practices to ensure the setup of the telephone systems makes it easier for people to get through on the phones.

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“We hope that these measures will make a difference to people’s experience, and that over the coming months the new vaccine will allow us to support more people face-to-face safely. In the meantime, we will work with Age UK and our patient groups to continue to make it easier for all people to access GP services.”

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