Medequip partners with Healthwatch North Yorkshire to research service users views
Community equipment supplier Medequip has partnered with Healthwatch North Yorkshire to research how users view the community equipment services.
In North Yorkshire, Medequip has been providing community equipment services (CES) in partnership with the NHS and North Yorkshire Council since 2016.
Here, the organisation is partnering with Healthwatch locally to carry out detailed research into how the service is viewed, alongside determining people’s expectations. The objective is to identify what people hope for in a vital service which is designed to keep them independent in their own homes for longer.
As the leading provider of Integrated Community Equipment Service (ICES) in the UK, Medequip is committed to using co-production, engaging with local people and organisations to improve both services and outcomes. It is an increasingly vital element of the work done by Medequip in support of improved social care futures.
The first initiative, which began in February, has been developed around co-designing and delivering a detailed survey designed to collect and act on feedback from people using the Medequip service to enhance, grow and develop their independence.
The survey is now launching into the community, sent out to residents accessing Medequip services across North Yorkshire. It can be accessed via the Healthwatch website and there is also a telephone option for survey responses.
A co-production model has been used to develop the content of the survey, bringing together people involved with organisations such as Disability Action Yorkshire, North Yorkshire Disability Forum and Inclusion North to devise relevant survey questions following individuals’ engagement with and experience of the Medequip service.
Darren Clark for Medequip said: “It’s vital for us to encourage the people we support to give us their frank and open opinion of our services to help us improve and continue to make a positive contribution to the community.
“Using co-production and both expertise and assistance from Healthwatch North Yorkshire will help us get a clear view of how we can best develop our services into the future.”
It is anticipated that the report and summary will be finalised in September of this year, when it will be launched and shared widely, including accessible formats. Everyone using Medequip services in North Yorkshire will be given a summary of the results and action plan, as well as a request for further feedback.
Ashley Green, CEO of Healthwatch North Yorkshire stated: “Once completed, the feedback received will be summarised and shared with Medequip and the public.
“Medequip will then work with organisations across the region to develop a commitment based around this feedback to further improve the services provided in the area.”
Medequip was recently awarded a contract with Norfolk County Council to provide Integrated Community Services (ICES) across Norfolk and Waveney, using electric vans, an energy-efficient depot and high rates of equipment re-use to reduce carbon emissions.
