1. Patrick Vernon OBE – Committee Member
Healthwatch England
Patrick Vernon OBE – Committee Member
2013

2. 8 Principles of consumer rights
The right to be heard
The right to redress
The right to satisfaction of basic needs
The right to safety
The right to be informed
The right to choose
The right to consumer education
The right to a healthy environment

3. What Healthwatch England does
Give national voice to the issues that most affect people who use health and care services, their families and carers
Actively seek views from all sections of the community – not just those who shout the loudest, but especially those who sometimes struggle to be heard
Work closely with those who represent different groups of service users and others eg regulators, professional groups
Lead and support local Healthwatch so they have the tools they need to fulfil their task and work with us including supporting local partnerships
Develop an intelligent view of the issues and trends, based on all the above and evidence from:
People who use services
Local Healthwatch
Charities and those who support vulnerable people (potential Alliance) 
Raise the most important issues at the highest levels

4. Healthwatch - set up Roughly £3m budget, 30 staff
Healthwatch England fully staffed by summer 2013
London and Leeds offices, with 4 local Healthwatch staff based across the country
152 local Healthwatch with dedicated budget - small staff plus volunteers; diverse set up and governance structures

5. Healthwatch England - Making a difference
 In 2013/14 our priorities are to: 
Ensure consumers and users of health and social care can exercise their right to be heard
Ensure consumers and users of health and social care can exercise their right to redress
Support you at this key stage of development
Establish Healthwatch as an effective organisation that makes a difference for consumers and users in a changing health and social care landscape

6. Key local Healthwatch deliverables
Support for local Healthwatch organisations:
Set up support
Regional networks
Communities of interest
Specialist training e.g. Enter and View
Guidance to local landscape and how to influence
E-learning
Standards of delivery .

7. Key deliverables Redress:
Consumer experience of concerns and complaints process
“Deep dive” on a highly vulnerable group – those who need someone to advocate on their behalf
Gathering local Healthwatch data on good and poor practice
Campaign on key improvements to the complaints process, including Francis recommendations

8. Key deliverables Representation:
State of the Nation Report, focused on eight consumer rights – October 2013
Report on how consumers are currently given a voice in the health and social care system, good practice and areas for improvement
Deep dive on vulnerable groups – children, mental health service users
And, flexible response to issues arising from local Healthwatch or directly from consumers

9. Working with local Healthwatch
We are always keen to hear from you…
Local Healthwatch can engage in many ways:
Feed back to us at local network meetings and running workshops and events we attend
Via the Hub and our newsletters
Respond to our calls for information or good practice
Escalate issues to us though the escalation policy
We will also be feeding information out to you for example on our findings around complaints, which you can respond to
Your local contact is

10. Healthwatch England