Annual Report 2018/19

Healthwatch Liverpool report on its key achievements for 2018/19.  It:

• Engaged extensively with local residents, hearing from 6,885 people through enquiries, events, surveys, visits and project work, while speaking to 2,750 people directly at 69 services and community events. 
• Influenced improvements to GP services through a major GP Access project involving more than 1,000 patients, highlighting difficulties with appointment availability, telephone access, continuity of care and interpreter services, and ensuring patient experiences informed primary care developments across Liverpool.
• Helped shape and improve support for unpaid carers by gathering feedback from 256 carers and professionals about the Carers Voucher Scheme, identifying issues around capacity, flexibility and communication, with findings used by Liverpool City Council to review the service.
• Supported improvements in care homes through Enter and View visits, identifying good practice and areas for development, promoting dementia-friendly environments, encouraging better activities provision, and sharing learning across the care sector. 
• Improved care through targeted research on community frailty services, showing positive impacts for older people and contributing evidence that supported the continuation and expansion of the service.
• Strengthened public access to health and wellbeing information through the Live Well Directory, maintaining information on more than 1,700 services and supporting over 250,000 visits to the platform. 
• Enabled patient experiences to influence service improvement, including securing changes at Liverpool University Dental Hospital after concerns were raised about treatment experiences and accessibility of equipment for left-handed clinicians and patients.
• Expanded support for students by engaging with over 1,400 students, promoting GP registration, dental services and health information, and continuing to influence student health and wellbeing planning across Liverpool.