Advocating For Patients

AN INDEPENDENT health watch that advocates for local people is promoting its activities, so residents know what opportunities are available to them.

Owen Richards, from Leigh, is Chief Officer for Healthwatch Southend, an independent group that

has a number of roles in the community, from providing information on local NHS and social care services to residents, to feeding back patient experiences to the NHS.

He explained: “We listen to people’s stories about what happened when they or a family member used health and care services.

“We want to know what was good as well as what could be improved.”

Nationally, councils receive Government funding to commission a local Healthwatch, following the initiative’s establishment under the Health and Social Care Act 2012.

Mr Richards said: “This means we are not part of either the NHS or Council, and can speak freely on behalf of residents.

“We have a legal power, where we have significant concerns, to enter premises where NHS or social care services are provided.  We can talk to patients and service users, as well as staff, to identify areas where improvements could take place, as well as good practice.

“We also look at plans and proposals from the point of view of a local resident and challenge where we think people’s needs are not being met.”

In this respect, the group acts as a critical friend to both the NHS and City Council.

“The NHS and Council are required to work with us, so we attend a number of key meetings in Southend and across Mid & South Essex, bringing the resident voice to the table.”

Recently, the group have been involved in some key improvements to NHS services locally, from intervening in the need for GP practices to insist on photographic ID and proof of address before registering, to improving the visitor experience of navigating Southend Hospital through recommendations that the Trust are working through.”

The group have also been beneficial to deaf people, positively improving their experiences of making appointments with, and seeing, their GP.

“Unfortunately, there were issues about communication in the practice, often with no-one available to translate into British Sign Language,” said Mr Richards.

“Although we focussed on the experience of Southend residents, the NHS in Mid & South Essex is using our work to benefit deaf people across the whole of that area.”

Regular activities for the group, made up of a small team of paid staff, and group volunteers, get invited to speak at local groups and community events like Hamlet Court Road in Harmony, and Southend Pride.

“If any local groups would like us to come and speak about our work, they are welcome to get in touch,” he adds.

Visit their website for a contact form at: healthwatchsouthend.co.uk.

Alternatively, email healthwatchsouthend.co.uk, or telephone 01702 416320.

Picture: The Mayor visits Healthwatch’s stall at Hamlet Court Road in Harmony.

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