About us

Healthwatch Birmingham is independent of NHS and social care services. We provide patients and the public with ways to feedback and have a stronger say about the services you use. We have the power to ensure that those organisations that design, run or regulate NHS and social care listen to your views and act on them.

Emerging from the Health and Social Care Act 2012, local Healthwatch were set up in every local authority area, to help put patients and the public at the heart of service delivery and improvement across the NHS. In total there are currently 152 local Healthwatch across England, facilitated and led by Healthwatch England.

The statutory functions of Local Healthwatch are to drive improvements in health and social care by:

1. Gathering the views and understanding the experiences of patients and the public.
2. Making people’s views known.
3. Promoting and supporting the involvement of people in the commissioning and provision of local health and social services and how they are scrutinised.
4. Recommending investigation or special review of services via Healthwatch England or directly to the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
5. Providing advice and information about access to services and support for making informed choices.
6. Making the views and experiences of people known to Healthwatch England and the Local Healthwatch network, and providing a steer to help it carry out its role as national champion.