Agenda item

The Sub-Committee are asked to note the Healthwatch Annual Report for 2015/16, as required by the The Matters to be Addressed in Local Healthwatch Annual Reports Directions, 2013.

The Sub-Committee received a presentation on the Healthwatch annual report for 21015/16.

The Sub-Committee considered the annual report of Healthwatch Havering. A Director of Healthwatch Havering presented the report explaining that Healthwatch was a statutory body established by the Health and Social Care Act 2012.

The report outlined that a Healthwatch organisation had been established for every London borough and county and there was also a national Healthwatch England organisation.

Our umbrella organisation is Healthwatch England a statutory board member of the Care Quality Commission (CQC)

The Sub-Committee was informed that Healthwatch represented the interests of patients and service users and had the unique statutory power of being able to undertake enter and view visits to health and social care premises. These visit were undertaken by retired experienced professionals.

Much of the work carried out by Healthwatch was undertaken by a small team of part-time, paid Healthwatch staff with much of the organisation’s work was undertaken by volunteers who included several former Health Service employees.

Healthwatch was also involved several of the Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Committees, it was a full member of the Health and Wellbeing Board and also sat on the CCG’s Primary Care Commissioning Committee which allocated contracts to GPs. Healthwatch was also represented on the local Urgent Care Board.

The Sub-Committee noted that Healthwatch worked closely with the Care Quality Commission, NELFT, BHRUT and other Healthwatches in the local area.

Members were informed that following each enter and view visits, a report with recommendation was produced and published on the Healthwatch website. The programme of visits had recently been extended to include GP practices and a report on this would be brought to a future meeting of the Sub-Committee. A total of 26 enter and view visits had taken place in the year under review and this included a visit to Whipps Cross Hospital and St Francis Hospice.

Other activities undertaken by Healthwatch included the introduction of ‘Tell us what you think’ cards that allowed people to comment, positive or negatively, on health and social care services and working with the local Positive Parents group for the parents of children with learning disabilities in order to improve links for this group with the Council, NELFT and the CCG.

Healthwatch was currently participating in a joint review with the Health Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Committee on delays to treatment at BHRUT – a first joint review in the country.

Findings from a recent survey work undertaken by Healthwatch in to why people went to Accident & Emergency had highlighted low awareness among patients of alternative facilities such as community treatment teams and urgent care centres. Other research indicated that most people preferred to speak to a person face to face regarding a medical issue rather than use a website or app.

The Sub-Committee was informed that the Healthwatch work programme for 2016/17 would include mental health, acute services, facilities for people with learning disabilities and domiciliary care. Healthwatch was funded principally via a grant of approximately £117,000 from the Council.

The director felt that the organisation needed more volunteers in order to carry out its various workstreams. It was clarified that Healthwatch had only a very limited remit for children’s services.

Members were invited to review and give feedback on Healthwatch’s website.

The Sub-Committee NOTED the Healthwatch Havering annual report.