Reaching out to our local community
We strive to hear from as many different voices as possible throughout our research and engagement. We want to make sure that local people's views and experiences are used to improve services, and included in every conversation about how health and social care is run.
We understand that factors such as culture, location, wealth, education, environment and discrimination can lead to worse health outcomes, and we support the strong consensus that this must change. At Healthwatch, we will do what we can to be a part of that change, by amplifying the voices of communities that go unheard and fighting health inequalities wherever we find them.
Our impact
Speaking up about local mental health needs
Healthwatch Westminster have been heavily involved in making sure patients and residents have had a voice throughout the recent consultation on changes to acute mental health services. As a result of our report, new work has been put in place to limit the impact any changes will have on people experiencing homelessness, and to ensure that the Mental Health Crisis Assessment Centre (MHCAS) is serving patients effectively.
Our work helped to show how changes to services would disproportionately affect some communities, and we're pleased to see that their concerns are now being taken seriously.
Speaking up about GP access
In total, we heard from 228 people living in Westminster as well as other parts of North West London. Overall, we found that residents were happy with the current service being provided by their local GP practice. Most residents who responded to the survey (75.5%) felt that their GP took their needs and preferences into account at least some of the time.
There was also recognition that changes are needed to address issues with the availability of appointments and with accessibility of booking options. However, any changes need to be developed in collaboration with patients, taking their views and needs into account. The report has been shared with our Integrated Care System, and they have expressed a commitment to addressing the concerns raised.
Helping to address winter health issues
70 people in Westminster got information about vaccinations, 111 and other winter support offers thanks to Healthwatch Westminster's Community Champion. Information was shared in a range of languages, and we also collected feedback about people's perspectives on getting vaccinated and staying well over the winter.
The information gathered was shared with Public Health teams to help shape future winter planning.
Supporting people to make a complaint
People using NHS services have the right to make a complaint when something goes wrong.
We've been helping people by explaining the NHS complaints process and making referrals so that local people can access advocacy. Residents have told us that our advice has reassured them and helped them understand what steps to take.
To help drive further change, Healthwatch will be hosting a collaborative complaints discussion, giving people who've experienced the process an opportunity to share their feedback with decision-makers.
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