Share your views: Cost of Living
Cost of living crisis
Healthwatch England conducted a poll with over 2000 adults living in England in January 2024 and found that the cost of living remains a barrier to health, particularly for those under the most financial pressure and those requiring dental care.
Key findings from the survey were that one in five people avoided dental appointments due to the cost in January 2024, four per cent of those surveyed avoided NHS appointments due to the cost of travel and three per cent avoided NHS appointments due to associated costs such as costs for use of the internet required for booking appointments. You can read more about this here.
Our project
Healthwatch Westminster and Healthwatch Kensington & Chelsea are carrying out a joint project to gather the views and experiences of residents, looking at how increases in the cost of living have made it more challenging to access health and care services. This includes pharmaceutical provision and dentistry, as highlighted by the national report.
As part of our engagement, we are working with partner organisations to distribute surveys and hold focus groups, delving into the key issues and barriers that may stop people from affording the healthcare that they need, or being able to attend appointments.
We will share this feedback with those responsible for funding and delivering health and social care services, and add to evidence for supporting change to promote fairer access to good quality services including GPs, dentistry and community pharmacies.
The survey will close at the end of October 2024.
Where can I access support?
Westminster City Council has a cost of living support hub which aims to help families in Westminster that are struggling with the rising cost of living. Further information can be found here.
Kensington and Chelsea London Borough Council also has a Directory of Services with a list of organisations that are providing support to those most affected by the cost of living crisis.
Further information on other support available can be found here.
