Annual Report 2016/17

Healthwatch Northamptonshire report on their key achievements for 2016/17.  They:

• Reached more people than ever before through 135 Pop Up Shops in 55 locations, speaking to around 1,200 residents and gathering feedback to inform local health and social care services. 
• Produced influential reports on eating disorders, SEND, maternity services, homelessness and hospital discharge, ensuring local experiences informed service planning and commissioning decisions. 
• Engaged over 2,000 young people in an award-winning eating disorders project, with findings helping shape Northamptonshire's Children and Young People's Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Transformation Plan. 
• Influenced maternity service development through research with parents about pregnancy, birth and postnatal support. The work was used by local NHS organisations and led to Healthwatch being commissioned to support development of the Local Maternity System. 
• Improved understanding of the health needs of people experiencing homelessness, leading to commitments from the Community Dental Service to extend outreach dental support to homeless organisations. 
• Carried out Enter and View visits to Kingswood Care Home and CUBE Disability, identifying improvements and raising wider concerns about regulation and the use of community equipment services. 
• Influenced healthcare planning and public involvement by contributing to Sustainability and Transformation Plan discussions, helping design community engagement approaches and ensuring local voices were represented in major health and care consultations.