Annual Report 2022/23

Healthwatch Haringey report on its key achievements for 2022/23.  It:

• Led a major project on barriers to GP registration for refugees, migrants, homeless people and other vulnerable residents. The work resulted in additional GP practices joining the Safe Surgeries scheme, multilingual information materials, staff training, and recommendations to remove unnecessary ID and proof-of-address requirements. 
• Influenced improvements to young people’s mental health support through research into the impact of COVID-19 and lockdowns. The findings informed future commissioning and led to recommendations for more mental health support, drop-in services and safe spaces in schools and colleges. 
• Shaped the future commissioning of young people’s sexual health services by gathering feedback from young people, including asylum seekers, refugees and new migrants. The findings were used by Haringey Council to develop more accessible and youth-friendly services. 
• Secured improvements for people living with Long Covid. Following Healthwatch recommendations, North Central London NHS introduced face-to-face GP assessments, personalised care plans and a single point of access for Long Covid services.
• Helped influence the London Ambulance Service’s new strategy by gathering local experiences and making recommendations on staffing, equipment, accessibility, integrated patient records and patient access to information. 
• Strengthened patient influence in primary care and mental health services through its Patient Participation Group Network and Experts by Experience Mental Health Board, helping secure service-user representation within new Integrated Care Board mental health structures.
• Delivered the Healthy Hearts blood pressure project, training seven community groups to provide blood pressure checks and health information, helping identify residents at risk and improving access to preventative healthcare in community settings.