To receive a briefing from Healthwatch Leicester on the current issues of interest, including information on patients concerns and experiences.
Minutes:
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Healthwatch Leicester provided a briefing on the current issues of interest, including information on patients concerns and experiences.
A copy of the presentation, together with a briefing document on current issues and patients concerns was circulated at the meeting by Healthwatch. These documents are attached as an appendix to these minutes.
Karen Chouhan, Chair, Healthwatch Leicester, and Surinder Sharma, Helathwatch representative on the Commission
During the presentation it was noted:-
· Healthwatch was an advocate for better health services for local people.
· Healthwatch had a budget of£235k per year and four staff.
· Given the wide nature of the health economy, Healthwatch had to operate in a strategic way which allowed them to make a difference to health services within the limited time and resources that were available.
· Healthwatch were currently indirectly commissioned through Voluntary Action Leicester but negotiations were currently being held for Helathwatch to be directly commissioned by the Council. Healthwatch hoped to move new accommodation at Age Concern Humberstone Gate by 1 November 2014, if the direct commissioning proved successful.
· Helathwatch were now a not for profit limited company.
· Each Director was given specific meetings to attend and to report on the meeting attended. These reports were then posted on the Healthwatch website.
· Healthwatch do not give advice on medical issues as such but act as a referral service for patients who have concerns.
· Healthwatch regularly submit reports on issues they have been involved with to commissioners, local health trusts, NHS England or the Care Quality Commission depending on the nature of the subject area. There was no requirement for the recipients of reports to provide a formal response to any report submitted by Healthwatch.
· Healthwatch are actively involved in current strategic planning for improving GP services and primary care and have links with the Better Care Together initiative.
· The most feedback from the public was in relation to dental care and the provision and access to dental surgeries. Healthwatch had submitted a report to NHS England on these concerns.
· Hospital services especially discharge times, waiting times and health and social care issues also had high levels of feedback.
· The Annual Report of the Director of Public Health had provided good information on health inequalities but had also highlighted where information was deficient in areas such as human resources, diversity and equality monitoring. Healthwatch were working to help improve the monitoring of these areas so that a better picture of health inequalities could be assessed.
· Healthwatch were actively engaging the public to increase the membership of Helathwatch and get a wider response and views of patients.
In response to questions from Members it was noted that:-
· Much feedback was in the form of a snapshot view than a whole patient experience as such and Healthwatch would like to co-ordinate all the ‘snapshots’ collected by various agencies to form a wider patient view of services.
· Healthwtach held various engagement events around specific issues and invited targeted groups for the specific issue(s) being discussed. Healthwatch were also holding more meetings at ward level and each Board Director had specific wards allocated to them.
· Following a recent engagement event attended by more than 100 people, Healthwatch had co-ordinated and submitted a number of questions on behalf of patients/public to the Better Care Together Programme team as part of their role in protecting patient services. Generally, but particularly during the development of the Better Care Together Programme.
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Richard Morris commented that whilst there was a common perception that the Better Care Together programme was primarily concerned with reducing health budgets, it was not an option to do nothing as the local health economy was required to reduce expenditure by £400m over 5 years as part of the Government’s public spending reviews. The Better Care Together did, however, provide an opportunity to make services better for patients.
RESOLVED:
1. That the Healthwatch presentation and update be received and that Karen Chouhan and Surinder Sharma be thanked for their contribution to the item;
2. That a meeting be arranged between the Chair of Healthwatch, the Healthwatch representative on the Commission and the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Commission to discuss the next stages of development of the working arrangements and relationships between Healthwatch and the Council arising from the protocol signed earlier in the year. The Chair and Vice-Chair the Adult Social Care Scrutiny Commission also be invited to the meeting as there were cross cutting issues for both Commissions.
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ACTION
The Chair of the Commission and the Scrutiny Support Officer organise a meeting between Healthwatch and the Chairs and Vice Chairs of the Commission and the Adult Social Care Scrutiny Commission.
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