Annual Report 2023/24

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

• Championed improvements in continence care by highlighting barriers to diagnosis, treatment and support. As a result, NHS providers introduced improved screening processes, clearer information and better access routes for patients. 
• Influenced mental health services by gathering experiences from people across North Yorkshire, leading to new first-contact mental health practitioners, expanded community support, additional specialist roles and the development of mental health hubs. 
• Continued to lead work on NHS dentistry, helping drive local and regional dental recovery plans, supporting the opening of new NHS dental practices, and ensuring the experiences of people unable to access care informed service redesign. 
• Highlighted the impact of living in rural communities on access to healthcare, with findings contributing to NHS and council plans to reduce rural health inequalities, improve appointment coordination and bring services closer to local communities. 
• Strengthened the voice of neurodivergent people and people with learning disabilities by helping establish partnership boards, developing an all-age co-production charter, and ensuring lived experience directly influenced health and care planning.
• Improved access to information and communication by campaigning for better implementation of the Accessible Information Standard and securing practical improvements from NHS providers for people with communication, sensory or accessibility needs.
• Ensured people’s experiences shaped local and regional decision-making through work on urgent care, hospital services, end-of-life care, community equipment services and health inequalities across North Yorkshire, Humber and North Yorkshire, and West Yorkshire. 
• Carried out multiple Enter and View visits to care homes, leading to improvements in activities, staffing, dementia-friendly environments, resident communication and overall quality of care.