The Healthwatch Network and Public Health Patrick Vernon OBE, Committee Member

The Healthwatch network So what is the Healthwatch network and what do we do … The Healthwatch network has two parts: –Healthwatch England –152 local Healthwatch co-terminous with local authorities Healthwatch has been set up with a range of statutory powers to provide a strong, independent voice for those that use health and social care -We support ALL children, young people and adults in England -And we are responsible for both health and social care -This enables us to see patients and care users as people, not a series of different ailments and support needs We have a key role to play in the culture change of health and social care By creating a strong voice we can put real people at the heart of the system, as called for by Francis, Berwick and Keogh. 2

Starting with the consumer We must always start and finish with the consumer, planning their services around their needs, including public health Our research shows that on the surface, 7 out of 10 of us believe we get a good quality service from the NHS and social care services But digging deeper with the public we found that: –A shocking 1 in 3 of us have experienced poor care, neglect or abuse –More than half of cases of poor care go unreported –Almost 1 in 4 say that doctors, nurses and carers aren’t interested in what they have to say It is therefore not surprising that 94 per cent of the 2,000 plus patients and care users we spoke to say its time for change. To support a more consumer focus, we established a draft set of consumer rights

We have been working with the public to map consumer rights to health and social care for the first time. 1.The right to essential services 2.The right to access 3.The right to a safe, dignified and quality service 4.The right to information and education 5.The right to choose 6.The right to be listened to 7.The right to be involved 8.The right to live in a healthy environment These rights will give people the confidence to stand up and make their voices heard and provide clear expectations for providers and commissioners. We want to hear your views – write to us or tweet using #thinkrights The role of consumer rights

Local Healthwatch and public health A fully accessible service – information and guidance on accessing Healthwatch services can be accessed online, through printed material and face to face All local Healthwatch have a statutory place on the 152 health and wellbeing boards and have input into all Joint Strategic Needs Assessments The Healthwatch network has a the ability to focus on local issues rather than be dictated to. These can include public health concerns Local Healthwatch is already delivering on a wide agenda with hard to reach groups: –Dorset – partners with AFC Bournemouth to promote diversity South Tyneside – working with Cabinet Office and local people on dementia –Torbay and Wigan - working with children and young people –Peterborough and Portsmouth – The secure estate –Cornwall – Developing enhances services for those with autism

Next steps for Healthwatch England This is just the beginning of our work on consumer rights in health and social care. By next year we will have: Had conversations with the public about their experiences of these rights Undertaken focused work on local Healthwatch’s influence on the HWB Completed a formal consultation on the consumer rights (by December) Worked with mental health patients and children / young people to understand what these rights mean for more vulnerable groups Checked whether the right laws, policies and practices are in place to enforce these rights