Unheard Voices Reshape Health and Care in Pioneering Arts Research Project

Clubs, schools, day centres and other community settings could help to make health and care more accessible, new research suggests.

Familiar places like these could remove barriers to care, like not being sure if there is a health or care issue, where to go, how to get there, who to see or what to tell the health or care practitioner.

This is one of more than 20 recommendations made by people across the UK who researchers say are rarely consulted about the design of health and social care services.
The report, titled Designing the future of care with seldom-listened-to people, encompassed ten projects across the UK, from Kent in south east England to the Highlands and Islands in Scotland.

“The people in our study are from communities which aren’t often listened to or included in discussions about the design of health and care services,” explained Professor Mary Stewart, academic lead for the project and Director of Social Interaction, Mental Health and Wellbeing at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. “And yet these communities can experience profound health and care inequalities that can impact on their physical and mental health, quality of life, and the ability to live well – not only for the individual – but also their families and the wider community.

“Our research sets out the specific ways in which staff, organisations, stakeholders, and policymakers can place seldom-listened-to individuals and communities at the heart of the design of the future of health and care.”

“We show not only that this is possible – but that it’s vital to co-design the future of health and care with these people and communities to improve health and care for everyone.”

Through a series of activities and workshops, the seldom-listened-to participants ‘reimagined’ health and social care services which could give them more say in decision-making, help them to access and engage with care – and use safer spaces to build trust and rapport.

Research co-author Bryony Nisbet, a Psychology Research Assistant at Heriot-Watt University, explained: “By safer spaces, we mean community places that are already familiar to people, and where they may already have support from trusted others. For example, if you’re an autistic adult with learning disabilities, accessing health and care in a day centre you already attend potentially removes the huge physical and sensory overload of trying to get to and navigate around a new place you’ve never been to before. For the NHS and social care, the practical change we’re proposing is moving the point of care from GP surgeries into the community. This in turn can help to tackle the growing burden on primary care in the UK.”