Healthwatch Croydon statement on Croydon health services quality account 2015/16

Healthwatch Croydon responded to the Croydon Health Services Trust Quality Account during 2015/16. The response drew on feedback gathered from local residents, patients, carers and staff through community engagement, patient experience work and online feedback channels.

The report praised Croydon Health Services for providing opportunities for patient and staff engagement and welcomed initiatives such as Listening into Action, real-time ward quality dashboards and ongoing work to address Care Quality Commission recommendations. However, Healthwatch felt there was significant scope to strengthen patient and carer involvement, particularly through more meaningful co-design of services and greater transparency about how patient feedback influences decision-making.

Healthwatch raised concerns that Friends and Family Test responses and complaints data were not being used effectively enough to drive service improvement. It also highlighted issues relating to low feedback rates in some services, the need for greater focus on diversity and health inequalities, inconsistent communication between health and care services, and the importance of improving discharge planning, staff culture and integrated working across organisations.

Healthwatch Croydon recommended stronger patient and carer involvement in service design, clearer public information and policies, better use of patient feedback, increased monitoring of quality issues beyond serious incidents, improved partnership working and greater focus on equality, diversity and integrated care. The report concluded that Croydon Health Services had made progress in several areas but could further improve quality and patient experience through closer collaboration with patients, carers and community organisations.