Healthwatch Out Of Hospital project group update.

What is Healthwatch? Healthwatch is the new consumer champion for health and social care in England. We give children, young people and adults a powerful voice, making sure their views and experiences are heard by those who run, plan and regulate health and social care services.

Out Of Hospital Project Group To inform members about health services outside of hospitals and services moving from hospital to the community. To contribute to the improvement of services received outside of Hospital and to monitor the quality of services moving from hospital to the community.

Work Program Use of services survey Virtual ward patient experience What next? E.g. management and support of long term health conditions, access for homeless people, social care support to stay out of hospital.

Use of services survey Stems from an identified problem of patients accessing “inappropriate” services. Local CCG has stated that they would find useful information about patients motivations when accessing services in order to make appropriate services accessible and relevant.

Use of services survey Key patient groups, older people, people with disabilities, people with long term health conditions, people with children under 5 and BME communities. Will also be including people who are homeless. Data collection is almost complete, approx 180. Report will be published by the end of March.

Use of services survey Key findings so far: Lack of patient knowledge around urgent care centers, walk in clinics and NHS 111. Trust in A&E “brand” GP’s advise to go to A&E instead of them Accessibility and attitude of GP’s an issue

Virtual ward patient experience The Virtual Ward is a new H&F CCG project, will replicate the services received on a hospital ward in patients home for a group of appropriate patients. Healthwatch has agreed to collect and report on patient experience to support the improvement of this service.

Virtual ward patient experience Questions need to be drafted during February. Collection of patient experience will take place during March. Will report in early April.

What next? Questions for Virtual Ward patients? Topics for future meetings? Ideas for future work?