Views sought on local Healthwatch service
Residents across Shropshire are being asked to play a part in helping shape their local Healthwatch service for the future.
Healthwatch Shropshire logo
A survey, which asks people their views on Healthwatch Shropshire, will form part of the recommissioning of the service, whose contract expires in March 2018.
Since it launched in 2013, Healthwatch Shropshire has been the independent health and social care champion for people in Shropshire, providing a voice for local people about their health and care services.
The health watchdog gathers experiences and opinions from patients, carers, service users and the wider public about services, including hospitals, GPs, mental health services, community health services, pharmacists, opticians, residential care and home care services. It then works with these organisations, making sure those views are used to improve services for all.
The organisation also provides information and signposting services to support local people in making choices about health and social care services and how to access them. It also has a statutory authority to carry out Enter and View visits to locations where health and social care services are being delivered, observe what is happening, and report on its findings.
Professor Rod Thomson, Shropshire Council’s director of public health, said:
“We have found working with Healthwatch Shropshire to be a very important part of shaping our commissioning and delivery of services over the last number of years.
“As part of recommissioning Healthwatch Shropshire, people are being asked their views on their experiences and understanding of the service. The contract for this service will expire in March 2018 and commissioners are seeking to engage with people to understand how this service should be shaped for the future.
“We urge people to contact Healthwatch Shropshire if they are concerned about a health and social care service, but also to help us now as we set the specification for how Healthwatch is delivered from 2018.”
For more information and to complete the survey, visit http://new.shropshire.gov.uk/get-involved/shaping-the-future-of-healthwatch-in-shropshire/. Deadline for submissions is Friday 30 June 2017.
People can let Healthwatch Shropshire know what they think about local services by phone 01743 237884, by email enquiries@healthwatchshropshire.co.uk or online www.healthwatchshropshire.co.uk.
Further information
Healthwatch Shropshire is one of a network of 148 local Healthwatches in England. It is supported by a national organisation, Healthwatch England.
It has a team working in community engagement, plus a volunteer programme, a visit programme to health and social care premises and an associate membership scheme to involve the public in its work. It also has a signposting service to help people access health and social care services and support.
The aim of Healthwatch is to give people a powerful voice locally and nationally. Local Healthwatch works to help people get the best out of their local health and social care services with the aim of ensuring that patients and the public are at the heart of decisions about service delivery, improvement and change.
Local Healthwatch are independent organisations dealing with local concerns and they are commissioned directly by councils.
