Guided by you: Annual report 2019-2020

This is Healthwatch Dorset’s Annual Report for 2019-2020. Based on the previous year’s feedback, Healthwatch Dorset choose their priorities to look into raising awareness about diabetes, the quality of care at Accident and Emergency services at Poole hospital, cancer support in West Dorset and the NHS Long Term Plan.

Healthwatch Dorset received help from 120 volunteers, provided support do over 2,500 people via information and signposting services, engaged with over 200,000 people via social media, website and community outreach programmes. They also published 2 reports and 7 short films about the improvements people would like to see with their health and social care and made 16 recommendations for improvement.

They spoke to young people about their experiences of living with type one diabetes and held them to raise awareness of the condition in order to reach out to other young people in Dorset who are living with diabetes. They worked with Bournemouth University to create a series of films about real people’s experiences of health and social care system including homelessness, end of life care and living with long term health conditions. They found out that at Poole hospital’s A&E, people wanted to be better informed about waiting times, about what would happen while they were there, and who would they talk to for information and support. They also undertook an online survey and face to face interviews to gather the experiences of cancer patients, their carers, and family members.

The report contains a message from their manager which outlines their plans for the next year which will include reflecting on national and local priorities in health and social care, including the impact of coronavirus.