Annual Report 2018/19

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

• Influenced the redesign of stroke support services by gathering feedback from 155 stroke survivors and carers. As a result, commissioners extended the existing service and commissioned a new Stroke Association service that incorporated Healthwatch recommendations. 
• Improved GP services through research involving 539 patients and an independent evaluation of care navigation across nine GP surgeries. The Clinical Commissioning Groups adopted recommendations, developed an action plan and promoted Healthwatch's GP improvement checklist to all practices. 
• Carried out a major review of mental health services involving more than 300 service users and professionals, leading to recommendations on waiting-time support, communication and referral pathways. Local mental health providers committed to working with Healthwatch to implement improvements. 
• Investigated access to dementia support services, highlighting the importance of timely referrals and early access to advice and support. The findings informed ongoing work by the Dementia Strategy Implementation Group. 
• Continued to improve access to cancer screening by bringing together NHS organisations, cancer specialists and people with lived experience. This led to commitments to improve screening information, promote screening uptake and share good practice across services.
• Helped shape major health service changes by supporting engagement on vascular service reconfiguration and proposals affecting Bishop Auckland General Hospital, enabling hundreds of local people to contribute their views and influence future plans. 
• Won national recognition for its work, including a Healthwatch England #ItStartsWithYou award for its project to improve online information about care homes and a highly commended award for work on health screening with vulnerable women. 
• Improved pharmacy accessibility and awareness following earlier research, contributing to the creation of a Community Pharmacy Awareness Group and new work to support people with visual impairments to access pharmacy services.