Healthwatch Southwark’s Public Forum: “You said, we did!” Event Report

Healthwatch Southwark held a public forum on 19 March 2015 to update residents on its work, share findings from previous engagement activities and gather views on health and wellbeing, sexual health and social care support. Around 70 people attended, including local residents, carers, community organisations and young carers. The event included presentations, questions and answers, and group discussions designed to explore people's experiences of local services and priorities for improvement. 

A major theme was health and wellbeing, with participants emphasising the importance of prevention, early detection and continuity of care. Attendees viewed GPs as the main point of contact for healthcare but felt that increasing fragmentation within primary care had reduced opportunities to build ongoing relationships with a single doctor. Concerns were raised about access to information, particularly for older people, people whose first language is not English and those without access to digital technology. Participants also highlighted the importance of community connections in supporting healthier lifestyles and reducing social isolation. 

Discussions about sexual health focused on stigma, accessibility and awareness. Participants felt that people were often reluctant to discuss sexual health concerns with their GP because they feared being judged. They called for greater openness from health professionals, more targeted information, better promotion of services and easier access to clinics. Young people particularly emphasised the need for improved sex education, reduced stigma and more accessible information about sexual health services and prevention. 

Attendees also discussed experiences of social care support, highlighting the importance of better signposting, communication and coordination between health and social care services. Carers spoke positively about some hospital-based support but felt communication often deteriorated once people returned to the community. The forum concluded that stronger information sharing, clearer signposting, improved continuity of care and greater involvement of local people in shaping services would help improve health and wellbeing outcomes across Southwark.