Annual Report 2016/17

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

• Engaged extensively with local people, speaking to 3,600 residents, delivering 121 community engagement activities, and publishing 82 reports on health and social care issues. 
• Expanded its Patient Engagement Day programme, carrying out 89 engagement events across hospitals, GP practices and pharmacies, gathering feedback that informed service improvements.
• Completed 35 Enter and View visits to care homes and GP practices, producing best practice guidance for care homes and helping drive service improvements.
• Highlighted the experiences of seldom-heard groups through projects on homelessness and deprivation, mental health, dental access in care homes, screening and immunisation, and Black and minority ethnic communities. 
• Influenced changes to local services through evidence and feedback, including improvements in GP practices, hospitals, complaints processes, and access to dental services.