Annual Report 2021/22

Healthwatch Bradford report on its key achievements for 2021/22.  It:

• Influenced the future design of sexual health services by engaging young people, LGBTQI+ communities, and South Asian and African communities. The findings were commissioned by Bradford Council and used to inform the recommissioning of local sexual health services. 
• Helped create a district-wide Care Home Quality Charter following research into care home visiting during the pandemic, using feedback from residents, families and staff to improve standards and promote good practice across care homes. 
• Played a key role in the development of the new West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, representing all local Healthwatch organisations on governance groups and ensuring public voice was embedded in new health and care structures. 
• Worked with local NHS trusts to improve compliance with the Accessible Information Standard, highlighting barriers faced by people who are blind, deaf or have learning disabilities and helping drive improvements in accessible healthcare information. 
• Influenced action on child and adolescent mental health services by raising concerns directly with senior leaders and supporting work to improve access, experiences and support for neurodiverse children and young people. 
• Contributed to a West Yorkshire-wide review of why young adults attend emergency departments, producing recommendations to improve awareness of alternative services, information provision and access to primary care. 
• Supported hundreds of residents through advice, information and signposting, while highlighting widespread concerns about access to GP appointments and NHS dentistry, ensuring these issues remained priorities for local health leaders.