Agenda item

The Healthwatch Leicester and Healthwatch Leicestershire’s (HWLL) Annual Report for 2023-24  will be presented which provides a summary of the activity it has undertaken this year as a jointly commissioned contract.

The Healthwatch Manager presented their annual end of year review of priorities and future plans in which it was noted that:

·       The report gave a summary of the contract for the last 12 months as an independent statutory body ensuring health services receive and act on feedback from local people.

·       Over 8000 individuals sought information or gave feedback of experiences. Issues were found in accessing GP services, dentistry and young people’s mental health.

·       Engagement occurred with different communities, including asylum seekers and Bangladeshi women to empower and actively listen to different patient groups. This allowed insights of services including how it is being used, how it is accessed and any barriers that may face different groups.

·       Issues were raised around; availability, equality, language barriers, access to mental health services for certain groups and women’s health. Identified concerns are shared with service providers and helps inform communities what is available and where it can be accessed.

·       Key impacts of work have been seen in the LLR Dementia Strategy, signposting, wheelchair access and patient flow at the LRI Adults Emergency Department.

·       A better understanding of what will happen when services are accessed has reduced complaints.

·       NHS dentistry remained a key priority as access and affordability has been raised as an issue. Healthwatch engaged with the ICB and regional commissioners to ensure local provision aligned with the National Recovery Plan.

·       Key priorities identified for 2024-25 include GP access, NHS dentistry and young people’s mental health services. The work programme for the next 12 months included children’s emergency department at the LRI, eye care services and supported living for the deaf community.

As part of discussions, it was noted that:

·       Voluntary Action Leicester is the contract provider for Healthwatch. It is a joint commissioned contract and individuals within the team represent each area. Concerns were raised as to whether the City is appropriately represented with dentistry access issues and tooth decay highlighted as an example of what differences in Rutland and County compared to the City. Assurances were provided that data is captured for each area to ensure focused work can occur, but as a joint commissioned contract, efforts have to be split and some boards only have one seat for Healthwatch, so only one representative can attend.

·       Access to NHS dentistry had been raised as a concern and focus needs to be on preventative work to tackle the issue of tooth decay. Members of the Board noted they would like to see more work on preventative programmes to address issues.

·       Partnership working with Public Health would ensure the public’s voice is fed into their work.

·       Both staff and the public have lacked information on appropriate pathways, so work is needed to ensure that information is known and can be appropriately filtered down.

·       The contract moving to VAL provided an opportunity to engage with different sectors and hear more experiences on wider issues. However, Members highlighted that several communities are underserved in the City and the County and requested further data to understand if any voices are missing as there is a risk that only the loudest voices are being heard.

·       UHL thanked Healthwatch for the work done in the Emergency Department and noted their commitment to strengthening their relationship with both Healthwatch and the VCS.

AGREED:

·       The Chair thanked the team for the report.

·       Comments from discussion be considered.