Healthwatch EnglandAdam Harridence – Public Affairs2013

What Healthwatch England does

• Give national voice to the issues that most affect people who use health and care services, their families and carers

• Actively seek views from all sections of the community – not just those who shout the loudest, but especially those who sometimes struggle to be heard

• Work closely with those who represent different groups of service users and others eg regulators, professional groups

• Lead and support local Healthwatch so they have the tools they need to fulfil their task and work with us including supporting local partnerships

• Develop an intelligent view of the issues and trends, based on all the above and evidence from:

• Adults and young people who use services• Local Healthwatch• Charities and those who support vulnerable people (potential Alliance) 

• Raise the most important issues at the highest levels 

What Healthwatch England does

• Give national voice to the issues that most affect people who use health and care services, their families and carers

• Actively seek views from all sections of the community – not just those who shout the loudest, but especially those who sometimes struggle to be heard

• Work closely with those who represent different groups of service users and others eg regulators, professional groups

• Lead and support local Healthwatch so they have the tools they need to fulfil their task and work with us including supporting local partnerships

• Develop an intelligent view of the issues and trends, based on all the above and evidence from:

• Adults and young people who use services• Local Healthwatch• Charities and those who support vulnerable people (potential Alliance) 

• Raise the most important issues at the highest levels 

Healthwatch - set up

• Roughly £3m budget, 30 staff

• Healthwatch England fully staffed by Autumn 2013

• London office, with 4 local Healthwatch staff based across the country

• 152 local Healthwatch with dedicated budget - small staff plus volunteers; diverse set up and governance structures

• 11 members of Committee from a broad cross-section of communities

Healthwatch England - Priorities

 In 2013/14 our priorities are to:  • Ensure consumers and users of health and social

care can exercise their right to be heard

• Ensure consumers and users of health and social care can exercise their right to have your views taken seriously

• Support local Healthwatch development

• Establish Healthwatch as an effective organisation that makes a difference for consumers and users in a changing health and social care landscape

Key deliverables

• To have your concerns taken seriously:

• Consumer experience of concerns and complaints process

• “Deep dive” on a highly vulnerable group – those who need someone to advocate on their behalf

• Gathering local Healthwatch data on good and poor practice

• Campaign on key improvements to the complaints process, including Francis recommendations

Key deliverables

• Representation:

• Annual Report, focused on eight consumer rights – 9 October 2013

• Report on how consumers are currently given a voice in the health and social care system, good practice and areas for improvement

• Further deep dive on vulnerable groups – eg children, mental health service users

• Help develop our longer-term work programme

• And, flexible response to issues arising from local Healthwatch or directly from consumers

Working with local Healthwatch

Already well underway – launched April 1 2013, they are a diverse network linked by a willingness to make difference:

• Torbay – Working with young people and training young people

• Calderdale – HWB and CCG commissioned LHW to co-design the system with the local population.

• Surrey – Used Enter and View to improve stroke services at a local acute trust

• Cornwall – Used local patient feedback to improve commissioning of autism services for children 0-5.

• Important for stakeholders to begin conversations with the local Healthwatch colleagues.

Can Healthwatch actually have an impact Four key reasons that will help Healthwatch succeed in giving patients and care users a strong, collective voice in shaping health and social care

• There are 153 of us, working together to give people a strong local, regional and national voice – sharing best practice, collecting data from across the network and analysing trends.

• We have an independent voice, representing both patients and care users, as well as children and adults.

• We have been granted statutory powers – which means we have real power in law to make those who plan and run our hospitals, surgeries and care homes listen to us.

• We have to work with a wider network – share knowledge and expertise

Healthwatch Englandwww.healthwatch.co.uk