Healthwatch

Healthwatch are the national consumer champion in health and care. They have been given significant statutory powers to ensure the voice of the consumer is strengthened and heard by those who commission, deliver and regulate health and care services.

Healthwatch;

• Champions the needs of children, young people and adults
• Cover health and care . Many people expect that health and care services will work together to meet their needs. This simply doesn’t happen. Covering both health and care allows us to see how providers interact with each other and where their system fails to join up different aspects of an individual’s care.
•  Draw together people’s experiences of health and care, expertise from the voluntary sector and evidence from local Healthwatch to establish a national picture of what works and what doesn’t, regardless of where in England, who pays the bill or what part of the health and care system is involved.
• Have strong statutory powers The Health and Social Care Act formalises the relationship between Healthwatch England, the Secretary of State, NHS England, Care Quality Commission, Monitor and English local authorities.

We have a unique power to advise this wide range of organisations. Our ultimate recourse is the Secretary of State. We have the power not only to report on the key issues that affect people who use services, but to expect that those in control respond to us. They don’t have to agree, but they have to publicly tell us what they are going to do to respond to our advice.

Healthwatch are the national consumer champion for health and care.  They achieve this by:

Understanding what matters most to consumers, especially those least included, by always starting with their needs and rights.

Influencing those who have the power to change design and delivery of services so they better meet they better meet the needs and rights of users.

Leading the Healthwatch network to ensure their local insight has national impact and our national insight has local impact.

Please select your area Healthwatch below for full information