It's been a busy 2017 for Healthwatch Newcastle and Healthwatch Gateshead. Here we look back at the work they've done during the year and look forward to 2018.
Healthwatch Newcastle and Healthwatch Gateshead cover all publicly-funded health and social care services for both adults and children. They work hard to champion the rights of those using services in their areas and, secondly, act as a watchdog to ensure that social care and health systems correctly engage with the public.
They collect feedback on services from people of all ages and from all communities through a network of voluntary and community sector organisations, and during events, dropin sessions and listening events at a range of venues. This information is then collated and recommendations made to health and social care authorities and other professional bodies.
The Healthwatch Newcastle team became independent at the beginning of 2017 with the establishment of Tell Us North CIC (community interest company). Around half of the Healthwatch organisations across England are now independent, giving greater autonomy and flexibility. Another milestone was the joining together of Healthwatch Gateshead and Healthwatch Newcastle to create a strong team, working together on key issues and sharing expertise and skills.
As well as building a stronger regional team, Healthwatch Newcastle was recognised and commended at the annual Healthwatch Network Awards. Chosen from over 150 entries, their work on home care services was highly commended in the ‘engagement in service improvement’ category at an awards ceremony in July.
As a result of Healthwatch Newcastle’s home care research, six report recommendations were also incorporated into Newcastle City Council’s service specification for a new home care contract.
Steph Edusei, Healthwatch Chief Executive, said: “We were delighted that so many of the recommendations arising from our home care research were incorporated into the new contracts. The council recognised the need for continuity of care and there will now be a small named team per client, which is especially important for people with dementia. We were also pleased to see that medicine management will follow the latest NICE guidance in order to address concerns that some service users told us they had about safety.”
Gathering the views of the special educational needs and/or disability (SEND) community was a priority work area last year. As a result of the research, 12 recommendations were made under four broad headings:
1. Service users should participate as fully as possible in decision-making
2. Information and support to be provided to service users to enable them to participate in decisions
3. Prepare effectively for adulthood
4. High quality provision needed to meet the needs of children and young people with SEND
An action plan to respond to all of the recommendations is being developed by the SEND programme board, chaired by Newcastle City Council. This will include the key recommendation for a single point of contact for service users to help improve communication and service user participation.
Feedback from the public is very important and the Healthwatch Stars scheme recognises health and social care professionals who have gone the extra mile to help those in their care. Healthwatch Stars are a way of celebrating positive comments with the people who are on the frontline of care in hospitals, doctors’ surgeries and other services in Newcastle and Gateshead.
Fenham Hall Medical Group was given its fourth special award at the end of last year in recognition of outstanding care for its patients. Practice Manager Helen Gunn was delighted to receive the latest award on behalf of the practice.
“It’s lovely to know that the work we do is appreciated by the public. The doctors are the first to agree that these awards are a recognition of not only their sterling work but that of the wider team too. We have adopted a number of initiatives lately that have made a real difference to the care we provide and they seem to be working well.”
The new initiatives include an improved same day appointment service and employing an Advanced Nurse Practitioner and pharmacist who are able to treat patients in certain circumstances without the need to see a doctor.
The coming year looks set to be as busy and active as 2017 for the Healthwatch teams. First on the agenda is a thorough process of analysis and consultation during spring 2018 in order to set out work priorities for the coming year.
This will include analysing feedback from the public and examining local, regional and national intelligence on health and social care issues. The teams will go out into local communities with a shortlist and ask people which health and social care priorities they would like them to tackle. Attendees at the Healthwatch conference on 25 April will also have the opportunity to help decide which themes to focus both Newcastle and Gateshead.
During 2018 Healthwatch will continue to make sure that service users, carers and the public are involved in any proposals and have their say in how the new services will look. As Steph explains, 2018 is not without its challenges, “We expect that 2018 will be another challenging but exciting year. Health and social care services will continue to experience great demands as council funding continues to be squeezed impacting on social care services and how they are delivered. Also, the November budget was criticised by NHS leaders, concerned that insufficient funding will impact on health services and waiting times.
“Now Healthwatch Newcastle and Healthwatch Gateshead have joined forces we have an even stronger voice and want to make an even greater impact on service improvement in our area. We will keep listening and making sure that everyone’s voices are heard.”
Healthwatch Newcastle Broadacre House Market Street Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 6HQ Telephone: 0191 338 5720 Text: 07551 052 751 Email: info@healthwatchnewcastle.org.uk
