Annual Report 2017/18

Healthwatch Wandsworth report on their key achievements for 2017/18:

• Engaged over 1,000 local people on health and social care issues, speaking to 1,028 residents at 72-73 community events, while 35 volunteers contributed more than 2,400 hours to Healthwatch activities.
• Influenced mental health services and policy, including:
  • Holding events on adult and young people's mental health, LGBTQ+ issues and suicide prevention.
  • Continuing work with the Mental Health Trust to improve patient and carer involvement in service planning.
  • Contributing evidence to wider discussions on mental health and support for vulnerable groups.
• Improved services for older people, carrying out Enter and View visits to three senior health wards at St George's Hospital focused on dementia care. The hospital subsequently reported making changes in response to Healthwatch's findings and recommendations. 
• Successfully influenced support for people with autism, gathering feedback from local residents and presenting findings to the council and NHS. The evidence informed the local Autism Strategy, challenged existing assumptions, and helped secure funding for support services requested by people with autism and their families. 
• Ensured residents' voices shaped service redesigns, including:
  • Home care service reforms, where Healthwatch feedback led to independent public engagement being built into the process.
  • GP consultation reviews and urgent care redesign discussions across South West London.
  • Children's and young people's mental health planning and early-years health strategies.
• Strengthened patient influence in major NHS change programmes, representing local people at more than 55 strategic boards, groups and committees, promoting public involvement in NHS transformation plans and quality improvement programmes at St George's Hospital. 
• Supported residents to access health and care services, helping more than 65 people directly through information and signposting and reaching over 340 people through advice sessions in community settings.
• Had recognised impact nationally and locally, with Healthwatch England and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) using Healthwatch Wandsworth reports and Enter and View findings to inform their own work and inspections.