Healthwatch is the new consumer champion for health and social care in England. It was established through the Health and Social Care Act 2012. Local Healthwatch organizations represent local communities and collect feedback on local services, while Healthwatch England acts as the national consumer champion. Local Healthwatch organizations are commissioned by local authorities and work to influence local commissioning, monitor services, and provide information and support to individuals. They must include volunteers and community members. Healthwatch aims to give consumers a voice in the planning and delivery of health and social care services.

1. Healthwatch – an overview
19 August 2013 DH – Leading the nation’s health and
care

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What is Healthwatch?
• Healthwatch - the new consumer champion for health and
social care
• Established through the Health and Social Care Act 2012
• Local Healthwatch organisations are local consumer
champions
• Healthwatch England is the national consumer champion

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The national policy framework
• Healthwatch England
• Independent committee of the CQC.
• Provide leadership and support to local Healthwatch organisations
including on what good looks like.
• Gather and use information and intelligence from local Healthwatch
organisations and the network – using local voice and trends to make a
national influence.
• Provide information to the CQC to investigate poorly performing
services - acting when there has been a poor outcome.
• Statutory advice to the Secretary of State for Health, NHS England,
local authorities and regulators, including CQC itself – as statutory
advice, a response must be made.
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The local Healthwatch policy framework
• Commissioned by every upper-tier local authority in England:
• Independence
• Balancing contractual responsibilities with influence – especially for services
provided by local authorities
• Building relationships with providers and commissioners
• Covers the local authority area
• All health and social care services
• All ages across the life-course
• Inclusive and diverse - representing its communities
• Working with other groups to ensure that all voices are heard – especially
seldom heard people and children and young people.
• Organisational model
• Social enterprises – allowing freedom in structure to meet local needs – function
before form.
• Must include volunteers and lay people at all levels in the
organisation, including contractors.
• Tapping into all parts of the community.
• Making use of people’s insights and experiences.
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Local Healthwatch organisations
Collectively:
• Help to shape the planning and delivery of all local health
and social care services.
• Have membership of the health and wellbeing board to
influence local commissioning.
• Monitor and scrutinise local services to bring about
improvements.
For Individuals:
• Information about local health and care services.
• Help people to access and make choices about care.
• Signpost advocacy for individuals making complaints about
healthcare.
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Volunteers and the voluntary and community
sector
Raising the profile of Healthwatch
- need for the public to understand its role
Getting involved in Healthwatch
- realising the vision of a network of networks: understand what the voluntary and
community sector in a local area already offers and making use of it as well as
statutory partners
Taking part in Healthwatch
- local Healthwatch needs to champion the voice of patients and service users; the
role of volunteers will be key to this (how to successfully get this connection)
Connecting with seldom heard groups
- local Healthwatch must seek to be representative of its local area; collaboration
with existing VCS organisations
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Some examples
Cambridgeshire – Hunts Forum of Voluntary Organisations
Bromley – Community Links Bromley
Oldham – Voluntary Action Oldham
Wirrall – VCA Wirrall
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Funding Themes and Priorities
Theme 1: Personalisation and Choice of Care and Support
Priority 1 – no decision about me without me
Priority 2 – information for choice and control
Priority 6 – reaching out and listening
Theme 2: Delivering Better Health and Care Outcomes
Priority 6 – integration, working with and through health and
wellbeing boards
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Themes and Priorities cont’d
Theme 4: Improving Long-Term Care and Support
Priority 2 – dementia
Priority 3 – community capacity and resilience
Priority 4 – coordination of services around individual needs
Theme 5: Delivering Safe and Compassionate Care
Priority 2 – innovative approaches to involving service users
and communities
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Themes and Priorities cont’d
Theme 4: Improving Long-Term Care and Support
Priority 2 – dementia
Priority 3 – community capacity and resilience
Priority 4 – coordination of services around individual needs
Theme 5: Delivering Safe and Compassionate Care
Priority 2 – innovative approaches to involving service users
and communities
DH – Leading the nation’s health and care