Annual Report 2023/24

Healthwatch Liverpool report on its key achievements for 2023/24.  It:

• Influenced improvements to healthcare access for people facing language barriers by gathering experiences from people who do not speak English well and NHS staff. Recommendations focused on interpreter services, translated information and culturally appropriate communication, helping shape local service developments. 
• Highlighted the ongoing NHS dentistry crisis in Liverpool, handling 1,720 dental-related enquiries, raising concerns with commissioners, contributing to dental recovery planning, and helping secure urgent treatment for vulnerable patients with serious health risks. 
• Amplified the voices of seldom-heard communities, including Polish residents, transgender and non-binary people, neurodivergent people, people with learning disabilities, LGBTQI+ communities and people whose first language is not English, helping services improve accessibility and inclusion.
• Led co-production work with neurodivergent people and people with learning disabilities, helping develop an all-age Co-production Charter that has been adopted by local partners and is being built into NHS contracts. 
• Improved patient experience through Enter and View visits and Listening Events, securing practical changes including better communication for cancer patients about appointments, improved waiting time information in urgent treatment centres, and service improvements in care homes. 
• Supported access to care for vulnerable residents through information, advice and signposting, helping people navigate GP services, social care, dentistry and specialist support services, while identifying and escalating gaps in service provision. 
• Strengthened community engagement by hearing from 1,199 people, publishing 13 reports, and ensuring patient and community experiences influenced decision-making across Liverpool and the wider Cheshire and Merseyside health system.