Annual Report 2018/19

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

• Improved access to GP appointments by reviewing the evening and weekend GP Hubs service. Healthwatch recommendations led to better promotion of the service, translated information, improved online resources and increased awareness among GP reception staff. 
• Strengthened the Adult Social Care Partnership Board, expanding it to include nine reference groups representing carers and people with dementia, autism, learning disabilities, mental health conditions and physical disabilities. The board helped influence reviews of continuing healthcare, carers’ support, day opportunities and the Ageing Well Strategy. 
• Secured £1 million of NHS investment in school-based mental health support after gathering young people's views on mental health services in schools and contributing evidence to a successful funding bid. 
• Influenced future plans for four proposed health centres in Haringey by consulting GP patients on what services and facilities they wanted, with findings shared directly with the Clinical Commissioning Group to inform business cases and service design. 
• Shaped future drug and alcohol services by gathering feedback from young people, parents and families using the Insight Platform service. Recommendations on outreach, communications and peer education were accepted and were already being implemented by the provider. 
• Raised concerns about unfair GP practice removals and secured clear guidance from NHS England, while also working with local practices and commissioners to improve compliance with registration and access rules. 
• Influenced local mental health services by bringing together people from Black and minority ethnic communities, LGBT+ communities and disabled people to discuss inequalities in mental healthcare, resulting in commitments from the local mental health trust to hold more regular meetings with residents and service users.