A major project to gather information and feedback from Guernsey’s Bailiwick community on their experiences during lockdown is today publishing its fifth and final report.
The Community Survey saw 3,699 people provide information on a wide range of topics, from whether they supported the lockdown measures introduced during the Spring of 2020, to how it impacted their job, income, family, education and health.
The findings have been published in a series of reports and this fifth and final report looks at health services, including the emergency department and other hospital services, GP services and mental health support. Among the findings, the report shows a fifth of respondents put off seeing their GP during lockdown. This was particularly prevalent for younger age groups and includes respondents with a wide range of health issues including mental health needs, infections and extreme skin conditions.
The Survey also looks at the impact that lockdown restrictions had on the number of medical appointments being postponed. This was felt across a range of services, but appears to have affected Islanders with a physical disability more than those with a long-term illness or mental or emotional health condition.
Finally, the Survey also looks at how the States communicated key COVID-19 guidance and decisions during the lockdown period. The livestreamed press briefings were the single most popular source of information followed by the gov.gg website and States social media channels. While only 5% of respondents felt more could have been done to make information accessible and 14% felt there were aspects that could have been better explained, some respondents provided suggestions for how to improve communications further.
Deputy Heidi Soulsby, advisor to the Civil Contingencies Authority said: “These reports have given us incredible insight into how lockdown impacted our community. We knew that this was an extraordinary situation for the Bailiwick and that there may be only one opportunity to take stock of how something like an Island-wide lockdown really affects our community.
“It was important that we gathered data as soon as possible, whilst it was fresh in people’s minds so that we had information we could learn from. Seeing so many other countries in lockdown again now, we know all too well that the possibility of another Bailiwick lockdown hasn’t gone away, which makes this data even more valuable”.
