Overview
Lived experience provides vital input about whether carefully designed service process and provision is working on the ground. It identifies areas that are effective and efficient, and it identifies areas that need improvement, as well as what’s missing.
Publication date
May 2023
Key findings
Orthodontic care is generally well-received, with most patients having positive experiences and willing to recommend their orthodontist. However, several issues persist:
- Long wait times: Many patients face long waits for their first appointment, a situation exacerbated by the ongoing recovery from the Covid pandemic.
- Lack of choice: Patients are often unaware they can choose their referral location and time, leading to unnecessary travel and inconvenience.
- Complex cases: Patients with complex needs requiring hospital treatment and multi-disciplinary teams are not receiving adequate service, facing communication issues and feeling unheard.
- Overall, while basic orthodontic care is effective, improvements are needed in appointment scheduling, patient choice, and handling complex cases.
Additional information
Survey by Healthwatch Essex.
Healthwatch Hertfordshire and Healthwatch Essex have been commissioned by the Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB) Primary Care Workstream to undertake a series of engagement projects.
The aims of the engagement projects include:
- Gathering lived experiences to feed directly into the Hertfordshire and West Essex ICS
Primary Care Workstream. - Supporting and enabling the Hertfordshire and West Essex ICS to achieve wider
participant engagement. - Engaging patients and the public on programmes covering key priorities and areas of
importance at a regional and local level. - Making recommendations to the Hertfordshire and West Essex ICS Primary Care
Workstream so improvements can be implemented.