NHS Essex is keen to hear from more people in Harlow in their survey designed to help shape the future of health and care services in Essex.

Nearly 1,500 people across the whole of Essex have completed a survey so far, sharing their experiences of health and care, with hundreds of responses from Chelmsford, Colchester and Southend.

But NHS Essex Integrated Care Board would like to hear from more people in Harlow. There is still time to take part and share experiences through the survey at: https://virtualviews.essex.icb.nhs.uk/help-shape-the-future-of-nhs-services-in-essex

Feedback from NHS Essex’s survey will help shape the priorities for the next five years and people have until 30 June to have their say. So far, early feedback has covered areas such as:

People’s ability to see a health professional and waiting times
The impact of issues such as lifestyles, cost of living, mental health and stress on health and wellbeing
Communication between different services and with patients
People’s ability to navigate through different services.

One resident said: “From my point of view as a deaf person, I find the communication issues a real challenge when speaking to hospitals and doctors.

“Very often, the health service will phone me, say ‘I’ve got your results’ or ‘I’ve got your appointment’.

And I have told them numerous times, can you put something around the system to say I’m deaf? Can you email me this information? And the system doesn’t work, does it.”

NHS Essex is keen to hear about more personal experiences just like this.