A shock report has revealed the devastating impact Covid had on residents in East Ayrshire.
More than 2,000 shattered residents voiced their views with some admitting their personal situation seemed so bleak they thought there was “no end in sight.”
Desperate residents in crisis have told how they had nowhere to turn to, with 92 per cent of those in dire straits admitting they were unable to access a GP appointment.
The East Ayshire Covid Resilience Research, first seen exclusively by Ayrshire Live, also details the crippling financial damage Covid has had on residents.
The in-depth study was complied by a consortia of six organisations at the beginning of 2022 and was drafted up by charity enterprise boss Janice Hendry who runs Yipworld in Cumnock.
The Zone in Dalmellington, New Cumnock Development Trust, East Ayrshire CVO, Auchinleck Community Development Initiative and the SKY Project were the five other organisations involved.
Researchers chapped doors in some of the local authorities' most deprived areas including in Kilmarnock, Cumnock and Doon Valley and villages in the Irvine Valley, with more than 4,000 doors knocked between January and March.
Janice told Ayrshire Live: “It was a huge piece of work, but sometimes you have to put in the work to get results.
“We wanted to get an overall picture of the impact that Covid has had on our communities and we wanted to show how effective it is when you reach out to people and speak to them face to face about their issues.
“The most damning thing we noticed was a lack of access to GP surgery appointments and the impact Covid had on people’s mental health.
“It’s worrying to see the impact that it has had on finances as well, especially when we did this survey before the cost of living crisis really hit.
“Things are only going to get worse and people need our help.”
Health and wellbeing dropped significantly during the pandemic, with 55 per cent of 2,078 residents admitting they feel worse now than they did before Covid.
A total of 620 respondents to the report shared their reasons for feeling worse, with 42 per cent stating it was because of their mental health.
Residents admitted to suffering from depression, loneliness, anxiety and even saw an increase in addictions in some cases.
Some 63 per cent of 2,078 residents admitted they struggled to access services during Covid.
A frightening 83 per cent of residents who were asked admitted to being unable to access GP appointments.
Whilst 55 per cent said dentists and 21 per cent said local authority services.
The report also looked into the financial impact Covid had on households.
Of 1,596 who answered, 58 per cent were worried about their energy bills and 55 per cent worried about their food bills.
One resident said: “The cost of petrol, food and gas and electric is drastically impacting our finances.”
East Ayrshire Council say they are keen to meet with the authors of the report.
Katie Kelly, Depute Chief Executive, East Ayrshire Council said: "We're building on the relationships forged through Covid to make sure we give the best possible response.”
Craig McArthur, Director of East Ayrshire Health and Social Care, said: “East Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership was aware of this review, and look forward to seeing the final report and the specific recommendations being made.
“We will consider the findings with our community planning partners as part of our ongoing recovery and redesign of services post-COVID, and as we consider the impacts of the increased cost of living.”
The full report is available by contacting Janice Hendry: info@yipworld.org
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