Support that makes a difference The impact of Covid-19 was felt acutely across all areas of information and support, most noticeably on the nature and quantity of the vital services we deliver. There were numerous challenges along the way, but we remained determined to offer support to those who needed it most and to reach out to everyone who needed help, support and information. We continued to deliver our core services and provided one-to-one support for many people remotely. We also capitalised on opportunities to develop new online activities to meet the needs of people during the pandemic. This would not have been possible without the determination, dedication and experience of the team.
Nurse-led Helpline Throughout the year, we kept our nurse-led Helpline open, providing valuable support and information to all those concerned about meningitis. At the beginning of the pandemic, when concerns about Covid-19 were at their highest, the Helpline was a lifeline for many. As anticipated, we continued to see an overall year-on-year downward trend in Helpline contacts (2,663 to 1,828), which was due mainly to a 46% reduction in Helpline calls. Whilst the reduction in Helpline calls is higher than expected, it is reflective of a year when the incidence of meningitis was low and the focus remained on Covid-19. The number of emails remained at similar levels to previous years, and we again saw a small increase in social media contacts. We continued to monitor the impact of the Helpline with a post call survey. As ever, the Helpline remains an invaluable first point of contact for people seeking help and support. All respondents found the information they received useful, and 100% of people felt more confident in dealing with the issues raised. People using the Helpline described it as ‘helpful and informative’, whilst calls were dealt with knowledgeably, and with compassion and understanding: “This has been absolute gold dust, I have been really struggling with my child and have found speaking with your staff and reading your website so helpful. It’s made me realise that it is normal to feel the way I do about some of the issues we have been having and that some of the mental and emotional issues are or could be linked to the meningitis. Thank you so much.” “The lady I spoke to was absolutely fantastic. Lots of real information and nice to be spoken to as a person and get that information without having to keep asking. Really, really amazing. I will also put a tweet out in case there is anyone else out there who needs this service.” We would like to thank the James Tudor Foundation and Pfizer for funding our Helpline and our expert nurses who deliver this service.
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