Annual Report 2017/18

Healthwatch Dudley report on its key achievements for 2017/18. It:

• Improved accessibility for deaf and hearing-impaired residents through the Dudley Deaf Focus Group, helping introduce vibrating pagers in hospital waiting areas and developing “I am deaf” cards to improve communication across health and care services. 
• Established and expanded the Young Health Champions programme, involving over 100 young people in projects on mental health, organ donation, safeguarding, transgender awareness, pharmacy services and emotional wellbeing. Young people also created mental health resources and delivered workshops to their peers. 
• Influenced major health and care planning through the People’s Network, feeding residents’ views into Dudley’s Health and Wellbeing Strategy, dementia-friendly community plans, pharmacy service reviews, adult mental health services and the development of the Multi-speciality Community Provider (MCP) model. 
• Led a targeted engagement project on community pharmacy services, working with underrepresented groups and producing 17 recommendations covering promotion of services, privacy, social prescribing and better signposting to community support. 
• Strengthened safeguarding practice by gathering lived experiences of abuse, neglect and safeguarding processes, influencing safeguarding communications, reporting systems, reviews and support for bereaved families following safeguarding incidents.
• Expanded the Community Information Point Network, training 178 people across 41 sessions, including GP reception staff, helping residents access information, support and community services before problems reached crisis point. 
• Contributed to improvements in maternity services at Russells Hall Hospital by participating in the quality improvement board established following concerns about service quality, helping support safer and more effective maternity care.