Annual report 2019-2020

This is Healthwatch Swindon’s Annual Report for 2019-2020. Based on the previous year’s feedback, Healthwatch Swindon decided to look into gathering views on ageing well and frailty, discussing the development of Primary Care Networks PCNs), regularly attending and facilitating the Learning Disability Partnership Forum, providing an NHS complaints advocacy, supporting people to have their say about health and care, including specialist dental care and carrying out Enter and View visits with Swindon Advocacy Movement.  

Healthwatch Swindon Had the support of 22 volunteers and 5 staff members; they provided support do over 1500 people who shared their health and social care story with them; they reached out to 3428 people via social media; published 8 reports about the improvements people would like to see with their health and social care and made 72 recommendations for improvement.

They spoke specifically to the Nepalese community of Swindon to have their say about what they need to support their health and wellbeing; they reviewed specialist dental care across South West of England and ran Patient Participation Group Forums to gather feedback on PCNs; they commissioned to provide 20 hours per week of free NHS complaints advocacy which was confidential and independent to the residents of Swindon. For NHS Long Term Plan, they engaged with 270 people in Swindon to find out about the issues around leading a healthier lifestyle, misdiagnosis for long term health conditions and use of technology to make healthcare more efficient.

The report also contains a message from their Manager and Chief Executive Officer about their plans for next year which includes continuing to support Swindon Borough Council during the pandemic and use their findings into hospitals quality improvement plan.