Agenda item

To receive an introduction to the contract and priorities of Healthwatch. To include a description of the relationship between Healthwatch, the Council and scrutiny and to ensure the committee understands the contract with Healthwatch and offers input accordingly.

The Manager of Healthwatch introduced item 7, ‘Healthwatch Dorset’, before giving a presentation to the Committee. The Committee heard that Healthwatch Dorset’s main aim is to share the views gathered so that those people at the heart of care see can be heard in seeking improvements to services. Members were told that Healthwatch Dorset undertake proactive engagements from their space at The Bridge at the Littledown Centre and the Manager of Healthwatch Dorset provided examples of the main actions the group undertake, including:

• Promoting the involvement of local people in all areas of health.
• Providing an information and signposting service to assist local people in the choices they have about health and social care services.
• Monitoring the quality of health and care services.
• Utilising the voice of local people to influence commissioners and providers.
• Alerting the relevant bodies to any concerns about local health and care services.

Members were told that Healthwatch Dorset had spoken to over 1000 local people in 2019. During this time, several projects had been undertaken and contributed to, including the NHS Long Term Plan, Diabetes Awareness, A&E Services, homelessness and cancer support services. The Committee heard that over 110 people had volunteered for Healthwatch Dorset over 2019 and a new Steering Group of local volunteers had been created to help create the Healthwatch Dorset Workplan.

This Workplan focused on five main topics: cancer support services in West Dorset, children and young people’s mental health services, access to Primary Care, A&E services and transport. The Committee raised several questions regarding the Workplan and a member enquired as to whether Healthwatch Dorset had been involved in any of the Homelessness Reduction Workgroups, to which members heard they had not but would be happy to contribute. A Member asked how the five Workplan priorities had been reached. The Manager of Healthwatch Dorset explained that the process was lengthy, whereby a year’s worth of feedback was evaluated in line with the framework of key themes. It was explained that the key themes considered were geography, protected charateristics, local priorities and Healthwatch England’s national priorities.

A question was asked on the Diabetes Awareness work that was undertaken by Healthwatch Dorset in 2019 and its outcomes. The Healthwatch Dorset manager informed the Committee that the project delivered good resources in the form of videos and blogs made by young people living with diabetes, which had since been shared among Primary Care providers.

The Manager of Healthwatch Dorset showed the Committee its recent report into patients’ views when using Poole Hospital’s A&E service. A Member asked how future scrutiny could be done on this topic, and the Manager of Healthwatch Dorset suggested that she have a conversation with Poole Hospital to see when the best time to consider their response to the recommendations would be.

The Manager of Healthwatch Dorset informed the Committee that 20 PLACE Visits (Patient Led Assessment of Care Environment) had been conducted in the past year and a working group member that was present highlighted the key roles and actions of the working groups that assessed both Poole Hospital and St Ann’s Hospital. It was heard that the group’s teamed with staff and patients to inspect the care environment. The Manager of Healthwatch Dorset told the Committee that she would circulate the results of the PLACE visits after the meeting.

Finally, the Manager of Healthwatch Dorset told members that Healthwatch’s annual report would likely be published around June.

RESOLVED that:-

The Committee agreed to

a)       Note the content of the report and in particular, note the roles, responsibilities and priorities for 2020/21 of Healthwatch.

b)       Ensure that as the Committee develops its Forward Plan it takes into consideration the priorities of Healthwatch to ensure effective alignment and avoid duplication.

c)       Continue to invite a Healthwatch representative to be an observer at the Committee to ensure that Healthwatch can directly input into the work of the Committee insights gained from Healthwatch’s engagement with local people and communities.

d)       On an annual basis, ensure that the Committee considers both the Annual Report of Healthwatch Dorset and its annual priorities.