Healthwatch Birmingham and Healthwatch Solihull investigated if the cost-of-living crisis was having a negative effect on physical and mental health, and whether some local residents were more negatively impacted than others.
The cost-of-living crisis has impacted the health and wellbeing of many residents; through inability to afford, for example, healthy food, transport to NHS appointments, the cost of prescriptions and dental treatment.
Our examination of the experiences of 314 Birmingham and Solihull residents, who completed an online questionnaire between December 2022 and June 2023, revealed that:
- A far higher proportion of people, than in a national poll, were avoiding the associated costs of NHS treatment and appointments.
- For those people on disability benefits, a higher proportion than found nationally were avoiding taking up prescriptions, avoiding booking appointments due to the associated costs, avoiding the cost of dental treatment or paying for over-the-counter medications.
- A third of our respondents were using Warm Spaces or anticipating doing so.
Recommendations
- Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board (NHS BSOL) to:
- Work with trusts to increase awareness of how to claim back the cost of transport to appointments, and increased office opening times to allow patients to claim these costs out of hours or at the weekend.
- Increase awareness of exemption from prescription charges and support for individuals.
- Communicate with GPs around understanding the affordability of over-the-counter medication and multiple prescriptions.
- Local Authorities to continue to provide Warm Spaces in the winter of 23/24.
Read the full report:
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