Annual Report 2015/16

Healthwatch Northamptonshire report on its key achievements for 2015/16.  It:

• Conducted its largest-ever public engagement exercise, with 1,098 responses to the Make Your Voice Count campaign, helping identify key priorities around mental health, access to appointments and communication between services and patients. 
• Carried out Enter and View visits to 20 residential and nursing care homes, making recommendations on activities, dementia support and staffing levels, with findings shared with commissioners, providers and the Care Quality Commission. 
• Influenced improvements in urgent and emergency care through a survey of 565 patients at A&E departments and Corby Urgent Care Centre. Recommendations led to changes including improved waiting areas, better signage, free drinking water, enhanced communication at reception desks and improved patient flow systems. 
• Published reports on GP services, health visiting, domiciliary care, hospital urgent care services and services for under-fives, using patients’ and carers’ experiences to inform commissioners and providers and support service improvements. 
• Developed Young Healthwatch Northamptonshire and engaged more than 2,000 young people in a county-wide survey on eating disorders, helping ensure young people’s views informed future mental health and wellbeing work. 
• Won the national Healthwatch England Network Choice Award and received multiple Highly Commended awards for work on social care, system-wide influence, and engagement with children, young people and families.
• Supported residents through 294 information, advice and signposting enquiries, including safeguarding concerns, complaints support and help navigating health and social care services.