This will help to gauge their understanding, as improvements are needed in urgent and emergency healthcare services in Dorset.

A survey conducted earlier this year found there was a lack of communication between units, patients, and NHS 111, including around NHS 111’s role in booking appointments/notifying services that a patient will be attending.

It also found there was confusion among patients about the distinctions between Minor Injuries Units (MIUs) and Urgent Treatment Centres (UTCs) and what care these services provide, leading to a preference for visiting an Emergency Department (ED) or calling NHS 111.

In addition there were inconsistent and outdated information materials within

healthcare units; underutilisation of MIU services in rural areas; an increase in patients visiting MIUs and UTCs who require primary care rather than urgent or emergency, due to lack of GP and dentist appointments and geographical inaccuracies on the Stay Well Dorset website regarding UTCs and MIUs.

The report by Healthwatch Dorset made a number of recommendations to NHS Dorset.

• Use clear, simple, consistent communication, including for the names and descriptions of different services and for signs directing people in the different healthcare settings.
• Regularly engage with frontline staff to understand the types of patients they are seeing and how to improve the service for patients and staff, and to share learning.
• Review NHS 111 algorithms and pathways to make sure there is discussion with patients about their options and to ensure they are directed to the most appropriate service.
• Standardise services and staffing across MIUs and UTCs so that all units in Dorset can provide the same level of service.
• Urgently update the Stay Well Dorset website with accurate geographical information about MIUs and UTCs.
• Launch a public awareness campaign to help people understand when and how to use the different urgent and emergency care services, and collaborate with health, care and community organisations and the media, to disseminate this across the county.

James Spriggs, transformation project manager at Dorset Healthcare said: “The Urgent Care Transformation Programme was set up with the objectives of creating an objectively clear and consistent Community Urgent Care Offer in Dorset, while increasing staff and public satisfaction and wellbeing. One of the key ambitions is to co-design and co-produce the new care model with the public. To do this effectively, we need to take an evidence-based approach and garner public opinion to inform the design. The knowledge and experience of Healthwatch has supported us to gather hugely valuable evidence directly from people using our services.”

You can share your feedback with Healthwatch Dorset about any health and social care service, by visiting their website: healthwatchdorset.co.uk/talk-to-us/ or by calling Freephone 0300 111 0102.