Your Voice - Our Annual Report for 2018/19
The last year was the one that marked a shift in our focus towards research and engagement. Our projects working with Healthwatch England on developing research standards across the Healthwatch national network reflects this approach. Work on supported living and with Newton Europe show the importance of our activities to evidence the need for improvement in services. This is also demonstrated by our Enter and View Dental Programme, so successful that the Local Dental Committee wanted a check list so those practices not involved didn’t miss out!
Highlights from a busy year include:
- Working together with Newton Europe – consultants who specialise in operational improvement - to improve enablement services
- Working with Healthwatch England to develop research standards across the Healthwatch Network
- A mystery shopping exercise to review and evaluate the Herts Help triage service for dementia support
- Supporting NHS England with their review of the Mount Vernon Cancer Centre
- Carrying out Enter and View visits across the County at NHS dental surgeries
- Working as an independent facilitator with the Drug and Alcohol network
Some more highlights from our year:
- 47 active volunteers helped us to carry out our work and gave up over 1,100 hours of their time.
- 584 people shared their Health and Social Care story through focus groups, our signposting service or at events around the County
- 75 improvements we suggested were adopted by services to make health and care better in our community
- 3,713 members received our newsletter
Our work for next year includes working with Healthwatch England on a large scale public engagement programme on the 10-year plan. Other highlights include the mental health discharge project, which is looking at support for carers when someone is discharged from a mental health ward.
We are also looking to build our relationship with the University of Hertfordshire and other research partners.
In terms of holding to account we are likely to be further focusing on the reconfiguration of services including acute service provision. We will also be increasingly working with the STP to enhance public involvement in the partnership to ensure community and patient perspectives are heard.
