Annual Report 2016/17

Healthwatch Liverpool report on its key achievements in 2016/17.  It:

• Expanded public engagement significantly, dealing with 2,773 health and social care enquiries, 4,226 student enquiries, speaking to hundreds of people at 57 community events, and gathering extensive feedback through listening events, surveys and community outreach. 
• Strengthened support for students' health and wellbeing by working with universities, student unions and health providers to improve access to GP registration, mental health support and health information, while engaging more than 4,000 students through welcome and fresher events. 
• Led major work on hospital discharge, bringing together NHS organisations, commissioners and other Healthwatch groups to improve understanding of discharge experiences and promote safer, more coordinated transitions from hospital to home. 
• Carried out extensive Enter and View and listening activity across hospitals, GP services and care homes, speaking to more than 700 service users and visitors, identifying areas for improvement and sharing examples of good practice with providers and regulators. 
• Continued to influence GP services through work on access and continuity of care, highlighting difficulties obtaining appointments and ensuring patient experiences informed discussions around local implementation of national primary care reforms. 
• Raised concerns about pressures in the care home sector and worked closely with care providers, commissioners and regulators to improve care quality, share good practice and support residents and families making decisions about care. 
• Improved access to information and support through its advice service and online directories, helping thousands of residents navigate health and social care services, find appropriate support and make informed decisions about their care.