Healthwatch England aims to give a national voice to issues affecting users of health and social care services. It seeks views from all sections of the community, especially vulnerable groups, and works with local Healthwatch organizations and others representing users. Healthwatch England will develop an evidence-based understanding of issues, raise the most important issues to decision-makers, and support local Healthwatch organizations in fulfilling their roles.

1. Healthwatch England
Adam Harridence – Public Affairs
2013

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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.

9. 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

10. Healthwatch England
www.healthwatch.co.uk