Agenda item

11.40

To receive a verbal update on a joint Community First Oxfordshire and Healthwatch Oxfordshire report on Rural Isolation in Oxfordshire.

The report will be presented by Rosalind Pearce, Executive Director, Healthwatch Oxfordshire and Community First Oxfordshire.

Rosalind Pearce, Executive Director, Healthwatch Oxfordshire and Emily Lewis-Edwards, Chief Executive of Community First Oxfordshire presented the Healthwatch update, which focused on a report developed by Community First Oxfordshire on behalf of Healthwatch Oxfordshire on rural isolation.

Emily Lewis-Edwards highlighted Community First Oxfordshire’s historical links with rural issues as a driver for the report, but also noted the more immediate driver of Covid and the exclusionary effect for some of the move towards digital provision. In total, 528 people took part in surveys, focus groups or interviews. Overall, the feedback was that people knew their neighbours, had and used the internet, and owned their own private vehicle. However, in all three categories small numbers of exceptions existed, for whom their lack of neighbour support, internet or transport was highly problematic. Indeed, even amongst those owning private vehicles, lack of public transport was a contributor to isolation. Time, confidence or lack of physical capacity tended to be the reasons why individuals reported not getting involved in community activities, which were identified as crucial in challenging isolation. The key conclusions drawn were that any solutions to rural isolation should be multifaceted. Nevertheless, given the weight given to issues of transport, community activities and access to information full consideration should be given to how these needs could be met within a specific community.

In response to the presentation, the Committee explored a number of issues. These included the degree to which the issues raised were specifically rural issues or actually universal ones. In response it was recognised that physical distance was more of an issue for rural areas, but that many of the problems of access were the same in disadvantaged communities in rural or urban areas. Another issue explored concerned the means of collecting the underlying data, whether it itself by being primarily online was exclusionary. The limitations were recognised, but so was the fact that some aspects were online at the request of participants, and that feedback from those who were spoken to in person correlated with the responses received by those submitting their views online.  The Committee welcomed the way in which the report shone a light on the needs of individuals in a more granular way than the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment could, giving voice to those minorities in villages where the majority were generally managing.

Cllr Lygo, Cabinet Member for Health and Equalities, expressed the wish to see the work extended to more ‘on the ground’ consultation in relevant areas. Linking in with stakeholders relating to specific areas of focus, such as transport, would likely prove fruitful.

Rosalind Pearce also provided a verbal update relating to Healthwatch’s activity. Healthwatch had held a round-table on access to dentistry. Access to dentist for routine appointments was reported to be very challenging for those not already registered with a dentist. Out of hours demand for those without a dentist often provided a stop-gap but not permanent solutions.  At the round-table commissioners, dentists and public health officials agreed that local commissioning could, over time, rise to meet demands. Dentists were facing difficulties with recruiting staff, as well as the level of payments for dental services. In the short term these difficulties were likely to persist. A similar round table was due to be held around pharmacy provision.