Celebrating 10 Years of Healthwatch
As a volunteer for Healthwatch throughout the last ten years I have had the opportunity to be involved in, and learn more about, a variety of aspects of health care. Homelessness, care homes, dental practices, and GP practices to name just a few.
In 2013 Healthwatch Warwickshire was launched with one simple aim, to make sure NHS leaders and other decision-makers hear the care experiences of people in Warwickshire and use your feedback to improve support.
Throughout the year we will be celebrating the contribution of Healthwatch Heroes - members of the public who have spoken up about their care and the health and social care professionals who have acted on this feedback.
In June we will hold a volunteer, Board and staff outdoor celebration.
A word from our Chair, Liz Hancock.
Over the past ten years Healthwatch Warwickshire have continued to focus on the aim to help influence change for the benefit of Warwickshire residents.
Having been Vice Chair for a number of years, I was delighted to take over as Chair in January 2019.
With the ever-changing health and social care landscape I am very proud of our small team of staff and volunteers who work hard to encourage and engage with local people to help local services to meet their needs. It is often a complex world they are working in but I have noticed that they never lose focus of the end result – making care better for people in Warwickshire.
Some highlights for me over this time have been:
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Working with young people including a “Take Over Day” in 2013.
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The RAP (Rights to Access Project) whose influence continues to this day.
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The voice of residents heard via Healthwatch Warwickshire at many Warwickshire and West Midlands meetings, forums etc.
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Facilitating Standing and other Conferences.
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Facilitating the Healthwatch Warwickshire Health & Social Care Forums
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Enter & View service across the county in a variety of settings
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The GP Patient Experience Review, covering 82 surgeries across the county.
Reflections on Enter & View over our 10 year history, by Gill (Healthwatch Volunteer and Authorised Representative)
At one care home we visited, an elderly lady who was bed bound was struggling to call for support and raised this with us. We were able to notify a member of staff, who immediately rectified the situation and found the lady's call bell had become unplugged. We raised the issue with the manager who said she would add checks to call bells on to supervisor rounds. I think this intervention will have made an immediate difference to the daily experience of the elderly lady concerned and had the potential to improve the experience for all residents.
Night Rotas were the subject of a recommendation from Healthwatch on one care home visit. Managers there told us they were aware of some issues and had instigated monitoring and review of the rota situation. This care home was part of a larger organisation and it seemed that the manager felt justified to raise issues with her own managers because the issues had been picked up externally by Healthwatch Warwickshire.
We did a good job with care home Zoom communications during lockdown. We were able to speak to managers of care homes, helping to share some of their concerns with commissioners and to share pockets of good practice more widely. The managers told us they felt supported by being able to talk to us.
The Dementia Awareness training instigated by a fellow volunteer was brilliant, I feel that all volunteers and staff alike will have improved their observations in care homes as a result of this improved awareness.
I think the incident, from the last ten years volunteering for Healthwatch Warwickshire, of which I am most proud took place on an Enter & View visit to a GP practice. On arrival we sat in the waiting room. It had an upholstered bench running round the room. Comfortable, but lacking features such as arm rests. I mentioned this to the Practice Manager and pointed out the difficulties for those with impaired mobility. Before we left the Manager told me it had been discussed with the doctor who admitted that it had not occurred to them but they could see how a sturdy armchair would benefit many patients. They had already ordered one and it was due to be delivered before the end of that week. Positive result!
A very big thank you to all past and present volunteers, Board members and staff, for all your dedication throughout the past 10 years to enabling Healthwatch Warwickshire to help improve care for the people of Warwickshire.
Thank you to the residents of Warwickshire who have shared their experiences of health and social care with us.
Read what Carers told us about their experiences of hospital discharge
