Tell us more about how you get health and care help, advice and information when you need it

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Helping people find the right care – our Guide to Healthcare

In 2026 we will be launching our Guide to Healthcare across south east London to help residents make the best use of NHS services.

Using a series of illustrations, the guide starts with a symptom or condition and maps out a clear route – whether that’s getting better at home or knowing when and how to get advice or treatment from the NHS.

This campaign has been in development since 2023 when we first engaged with the People’s Panel through a survey on how you get health and care help, advice and information. Since then, we’ve run focus groups, improved designs, and piloted the guide in Lewisham to ensure it meets the needs of our communities. Your help in the process has been extremely valuable, thanks again for taking part in the survey and focus groups.

See the digital version of the guide here

The pilot in Lewisham ran January to March earlier this year. Guides were delivered straight to people’s homes, as well as places in the community. It was also supported by a digital advertising campaign. Positively, results showed that:

  • the Guide was well received and understood by our residents
  • the Guide can positively influence how people navigate NHS services.

What’s next?

In January, keep a look out for the Guide. You may get one through your door – or they’ll be in pharmacies, libraries and other places in the community. Please share the guide with your friends, family and community to help people get the help they need.

Context

During September - October 2023 we invited you and others to tell us about how you get health and care help, advice and information when you need it – whether this is from the NHS, or from somewhere else.

We were keen to work with people to better understand how we can support them to find the right service for their needs. This includes how and where to find urgent medical advice when you need it, and what to do when your child is unwell. The survey responses helped us understand how to better approach and respond to your needs to ensure we are helping you and other people living in your area. Your experience and views were very useful in shaping what we do.

Survey report

Thank you to everyone responding to our survey. All the survey results were collated in a report that can be seen here. The survey was shared with you and other members of the public in south east London aiming to complement the survey responses that we have collected from newly recruited South East London People’s Panel - report here.

Recommendations

  • Considering developing clear and accessible messaging around NHS services and how people can access
  • Aiming to increase public understanding, awareness and confidence in different services such as – NHS 111 online, Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC)/Minor Injuries Unit (MIU), Walking Centres
  • Developing accessible communications materials and share in the community to increase awareness of how to access the right care at the right time.

We heard from you that you wanted detailed illustrations in colour, with short, clear text to make the guide easy to understand. You wanted a description of some NHS services you hadn’t heard of before. And you wanted something printed you could keep. We took on this feedback as well as your other comments.

The guide went through more testing with local people in November and was positively received. Most people said it would be a useful resource they would look back on and share. They also suggested ways to make it better, such as making some of the illustrations and pathways to care clearer and using simpler language.

We also shared the guide with a group of clinicians. Again, the feedback was positive with some suggestions around extra symptoms to include, making some illustrations clearer and including other ways to contact NHS services.

Helping people find the right care – our Guide to Healthcare

In 2026 we will be launching our Guide to Healthcare across south east London to help residents make the best use of NHS services.

Using a series of illustrations, the guide starts with a symptom or condition and maps out a clear route – whether that’s getting better at home or knowing when and how to get advice or treatment from the NHS.

This campaign has been in development since 2023 when we first engaged with the People’s Panel through a survey on how you get health and care help, advice and information. Since then, we’ve run focus groups, improved designs, and piloted the guide in Lewisham to ensure it meets the needs of our communities. Your help in the process has been extremely valuable, thanks again for taking part in the survey and focus groups.

See the digital version of the guide here

The pilot in Lewisham ran January to March earlier this year. Guides were delivered straight to people’s homes, as well as places in the community. It was also supported by a digital advertising campaign. Positively, results showed that:

  • the Guide was well received and understood by our residents
  • the Guide can positively influence how people navigate NHS services.

What’s next?

In January, keep a look out for the Guide. You may get one through your door – or they’ll be in pharmacies, libraries and other places in the community. Please share the guide with your friends, family and community to help people get the help they need.

Context

During September - October 2023 we invited you and others to tell us about how you get health and care help, advice and information when you need it – whether this is from the NHS, or from somewhere else.

We were keen to work with people to better understand how we can support them to find the right service for their needs. This includes how and where to find urgent medical advice when you need it, and what to do when your child is unwell. The survey responses helped us understand how to better approach and respond to your needs to ensure we are helping you and other people living in your area. Your experience and views were very useful in shaping what we do.

Survey report

Thank you to everyone responding to our survey. All the survey results were collated in a report that can be seen here. The survey was shared with you and other members of the public in south east London aiming to complement the survey responses that we have collected from newly recruited South East London People’s Panel - report here.

Recommendations

  • Considering developing clear and accessible messaging around NHS services and how people can access
  • Aiming to increase public understanding, awareness and confidence in different services such as – NHS 111 online, Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC)/Minor Injuries Unit (MIU), Walking Centres
  • Developing accessible communications materials and share in the community to increase awareness of how to access the right care at the right time.

We heard from you that you wanted detailed illustrations in colour, with short, clear text to make the guide easy to understand. You wanted a description of some NHS services you hadn’t heard of before. And you wanted something printed you could keep. We took on this feedback as well as your other comments.

The guide went through more testing with local people in November and was positively received. Most people said it would be a useful resource they would look back on and share. They also suggested ways to make it better, such as making some of the illustrations and pathways to care clearer and using simpler language.

We also shared the guide with a group of clinicians. Again, the feedback was positive with some suggestions around extra symptoms to include, making some illustrations clearer and including other ways to contact NHS services.

  • CLOSED: This survey has concluded. Thank you to everyone responding.

    Tell us more about how you get health and care help, advice and information when you need it.

    It takes just a few minutes to fill out this short survey and this will help us understand how to better approach and respond to your needs to ensure we are helping you and other people living in your area. Your experience and views will be very useful in shaping what we do. The more information you can give us, the better.

    Thank you. 

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Page last updated: 15 Dec 2025, 12:10 PM