HealthWatch

Last updated: 11/05/2012 Add to My Bookmarks Subscribe

Healthwatch "the new NHS and social care watchdog"

The national picture:

Under the Health and Social Care Act, Healthwatch, will be the new consumer champion for publicly funded health and social care.  It will exist locally and nationally as Healthwatch England.  It will have a seat on the Health and Wellbeing Board and will have a role in maximising local engagement by bringing the community and patient voice to the commissioning process.

Local authorities must have a Local Healthwatch running by 1 April 2013 and will continue the functions of the Local Involvement Networks (LINks) which will cease to exist when Local Healthwatch is in operation.

The Government's vision for Healthwatch

Healthwatch will have three primary functions:

1. Influencing: help shape the planning of health and social care services.
2. Signposting: help people access and make choices about care
3. Advisory: advocacy for individuals making complaints about healthcare. Healthwatch will take on the formal responsibility for NHS advocacy from April 2013.

In accordance with the Government’s vision Healthwatch will:

• Be the independent customer champion for the public, locally and nationally, to promote better outcomes in health for all and in social care for adults.
• Provide intelligence to influence policy, planning, commissioning and delivery of health and social care services.
• Provide information and advice to help people access and make choices about services
• Help people access independent complaints advocacy to support people if they need help to complain about NHS services.
• Have credibility and public trust through being responsive and acting on concerns when things go wrong and operating effectively and efficiently.
• Be statutory organisations (i.e. established by law).

Cornwall's vision for Healthwatch

Cornwall Council and partners want Healthwatch to be different in Cornwall.  We want Healthwatch to build on the experience of patient and public involvement already gained in Cornwall and intend Cornwall's Local Healthwatch to influence and signpost all services including those for children and young people.  Cornwall aims to launch its Local Healthwatch in shadow form from January 2013.

In November and December last year Cornwall Council and its partners undertook a series of consultation engagement events inviting people to give their views on the qualities of a Local Healthwatch for Cornwall.  These events helped establish key principles for design and built on consultation work undertaken by LINk in Cornwall.

Cornwall Council has commenced negotiations with the voluntary and community sector and issued a joint statement in March 2012.

"Without you - Healthwatch won't work for you"

Cornwall Council and partners have listened to how people in Cornwall want its Local Healthwatch to work and have developed a model using the key principles and characteristics that people told us they want Healthwatch to have during Cornwall's earlier consultation exercises.

Have we got it right for Cornwall?

We need you to let us know if our draft model will work for you and in May and June this year Cornwall Council and its partners will be holding three further events so that stakeholders can test the draft Local Healthwatch model for Cornwall. These events will be held on:

• Monday 28 May 2012 10am to 1pm: St Austell One Stop Shop, 39 Penwinnick Road, St Austell, PL25 5DR
• Wednesday 30 May 2012 1pm to 4pm: Tregenna Castle, St Ives, TR26 2DE
• Friday 1 June 2012 1pm to 4pm: Shire House Suite, Bodmin, PL31 2DQ.
• Tuesday 26 June 2012 9.30am to 12.30pm : The Parkhouse Centre, Bude, EX23 8LD

To book your place please RSVP healthwatchconsultation@cornwall.gov.uk or phone 01872 324477 letting us know which event you want to attend and if you have any special requirements or dietary needs.

Cornwall Council has developed a frequently asked questions document on Healthwatch. More information on Local Healthwatch is available on the Department of Health website.