Healthwatch Birmingham publishes our Annual Report 2016/2017
How we are using your experiences to make health and social care better in Birmingham.
Healthwatch Birmingham has published our Annual Report 2016/2017, which highlights our impact and activities to champion the patient voice.
The report includes a range of case studies and key information. These detail our achievements to improve how health and social care services hear the views and experiences of people in Birmingham.
You can read and download the full report here
This year marks real growth in the support that Healthwatch Birmingham provides to patients and the public. We are creating real impact through:
- Ensuring your experiences are influencing change
Over the year, we saw a large growth in the number of people who engaged with us. For example, 60% more people rated local services on our Feedback Centre and we heard the views of over 1000 citizens through our community engagement. We have worked extensively with health and social care services to ensure they consider these experiences and use them to improve going forward.
- Supporting you to find the answers you need
We have helped hundreds of people to access the health and social care information they need through our Information and Signposting service. People using this service have been signposted by us to a range of local and national organisations. For example, those that provide support such as complaints advocacy, safeguarding, and wellbeing. We have also provided policy and guidance information. This is really helping people to make informed choices about their care.
- Our investigations and reports are creating real impact
From working with a local NHS Trust to improve the provision of mental health care plans, to highlighting the issues of access to emergency GP appointments across the city, our reports are driving change and improvement. We have strengthened our ability to use patient experiences to challenge commissioners and providers, and to hold them to account for improving services.
- Placing you, patients and the public, at the heart
This year we have worked to develop our Quality Standard for using patient insight, experience and involvement to drive the way health and social care organisations make services better. Through responding to consultations and challenging patient involvement in the city’s wide scale plans for NHS services, we remain passionate about placing people at the heart of health and social care.
Andy Cave, Healthwatch Birmingham Chief Executive Officer stated: “Our Annual Report highlights the great successes and impact we have achieved this year. Through increasing our engagement and awareness across the city, we are supporting more people to have a stronger say about their local health and social care services.
We are proud that our work is driving real change and improvement for people in Birmingham. By working together with commissioners and providers we are ensuring the views and experiences of patients are being used to make services better.
My thanks to our volunteers, staff, Board and supporting stakeholders for your commitment, support, and involvement over the past year.”
Announcing our new Chair
As part of the Annual Report release, Healthwatch Birmingham is delighted to welcome Danielle Oum as the new Chair of the Board from May 2017. Find out more here