Healthwatch England

Last updated

Healthwatch England is a committee of the Care Quality Commission established under the Health and Social Care Act 2012, which took effect in April 2013. Its role is to gather and champion the views of users of health and social care services, in order to identify improvements and influence providers' plans. [1] The Healthwatch network is made of up of local Healthwatch groups in each of England's local authority areas, and Healthwatch England, the national body.

Contents

Organisation

Healthwatch England is a statutory body whose purpose is to understand the needs, experiences and concerns of people who use health and social care services and to speak out on their behalf. The local groups work together to share information, expertise and learning in order to improve health and social care services.

When established, the organisation was hosted by the Care Quality Commission but reported directly to the Department of Health. However, in January 2016, in a move seen as downgrading the organisation after the departure of its first Chief Executive, it was announced that a new national director would be appointed who would report to the Chief Executive of the CQC. David Behan said that although the national director would report to him, they would be able to criticise the work of the CQC if necessary. [2]

Sir Robert Francis was appointed chair in September 2018. Louise Ansari was appointed chief executive in November 2021. [3]

Predecessor organisations

Healthwatch is the latest reorganisation of arrangements to involve patients and the public in the running of the NHS in England. Community Health Councils (CHC) were established in 1974 and abolished in 2003 to be replaced by Public and Patient Involvement Forums [4] run by the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health. They were replaced in their turn in April 2008 by Local Involvement Networks. Community Health Councils continue in Wales. Scotland has a different system run by the Scottish Health Council.

Resources

The 148 local Healthwatch groups were allocated £43.5m by the Department of Health in 2013 but the groups only received £33.5m of this – leaving £10m unaccounted for. Anna Bradley, chair of Healthwatch England, [5] said: "This discovery is hugely disappointing. Less than 4p out of every £10,000 spent on health and social care was allocated to champion the cause of consumers in the first place and even this tiny amount is failing to reach those charged with speaking out on behalf of their local communities. The tragedies of Audrey Paley, Mid Staffs, Morecambe Bay and Winterbourne View all highlight what happens when the system fails to listen." [6] Almost a third of councils cut their local Healthwatch budgets in 2015–16 by an average of 14%, Blackpool and Hounslow by more than half. [7]

For 2018–19 it was planned that the 152 local Healthwatch services should receive £26,064,086 from local authorities to carry out their statutory activities, 35.3% less than was originally planned in 2013. This paid for 408 full-time equivalent staff. Local Healthwatch organisations also engage a considerable number of volunteers. [8] In November 2018 it was announced that NHS England and NHS Improvement were to make "significant investment" into the organisation in order to encourage participation in the development of the NHS's long term plan. [9]

In 2022 Sir Robert Francis resigned the chair, saying funding cuts meant the organisation could soon struggle “to fulfil its vital role". [10]

Local Healthwatch

The announced intention was that each local Healthwatch would be an independent organisation, able to employ its own staff and involve volunteers and accountable in its own right. [11] Plans to make the local Healthwatch in Leicester an independent organisation were thwarted by Voluntary Action Leicester who had been charged with establishing the organisation but would not hand over the contract to the newly established Healthwatch Leicester Ltd. [12]

National activity

The organisation produced a report entitled Safely Home: what happens when people leave hospital and care settings? in July 2015, which was based on thousands of stories about people leaving hospital without the right planning and support. [13]

Criticism

The 2015 People's Inquiry into London's NHS recommended that Healthwatch England be closed down, with local Healthwatch bodies separated from the Care Quality Commission and modelled on the old Community Health Councils. They should link up with local community organisations, pensioners' groups and other community organisations, and be given statutory powers to inspect hospital and community services, to object to changes which lack public acceptance, and to force a decision on contested changes from the Secretary of State. [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emergency medical services in the United Kingdom</span>

Emergency medical services in the United Kingdom provide emergency care to people with acute illness or injury and are predominantly provided free at the point of use by the four National Health Services (NHS) of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Emergency care including ambulance and emergency department treatment is only free to UK residents and a charge may be made to those not entitled to free NHS care.

Community health councils were established in 1974 as a result of the National Health Service Reorganisation Act 1973 to provide a voice for patients and the public in the National Health Service (NHS) in England and Wales.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is an executive non-departmental public body of the Department of Health and Social Care of the United Kingdom. It was established in 2009 to regulate and inspect health and social care providers in England.

The Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust provides mental health and learning disability services to the people of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex and West Sussex. The trust also provide some community services in Hampshire for children and young people with mental health problem. They work in partnership with those who use their services, with their staff, with NHS and social care agencies and with the voluntary sector.

Local involvement networks (LINks) were launched by England's National Health Service in April 2008 following the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007. They replaced the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health (CPPIH) and patient and public involvement forums and existed in every local authority area with a responsibility for NHS health care and social services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hinchingbrooke Hospital</span> Hospital in England

Hinchingbrooke Hospital is a small district general hospital in Hinchingbrooke near Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire. Opened in 1983, it serves the Huntingdonshire area, and has a range of specialities as well as an emergency department and a maternity unit. The hospital is managed by the North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust.

Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust (AWP) is an NHS mental health trust providing adult mental health and related services in Wiltshire and the former county of Avon, an area centred on Bristol.

East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust is an NHS trust which runs Conquest Hospital in St Leonards-on-Sea, Eastbourne District General Hospital, and Bexhill Hospital, all in East Sussex, England.

Healthcare in Dorset was primarily the responsibility of Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group until July 2022. Dorset County Council is leading in the development of an electronic health record, to be called the Dorset Care Record, provided by Orion Health. It is intended to enable all health and social care providers to share records.

Healthcare in Devon was the responsibility of two clinical commissioning groups until July 2022, one covering Northern, Eastern and Western Devon, and one covering South Devon and Torbay. It was announced in November 2018 that the two were to merge.

Healthcare in Bedfordshire is the responsibility of Bedfordshire and Luton Integrated Care Systems.

Healthcare in Somerset, England was the responsibility of three clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) until July 2022. These covered the ceremonial county of Somerset, which comprises the areas governed by the three unitary authorities of Somerset, North Somerset and Bath and North East Somerset.

Sir Robert Anthony Francis KC is a British barrister. He specialises in medical law, including medical and mental health treatment and capacity issues, clinical negligence and professional discipline. He has appeared as a barrister for and chaired several high-profile inquiries into medical controversies/scandals.

Healthcare in Staffordshire was the responsibility of six clinical commissioning groups until July 2022, covering Stafford & Surrounds, North Staffordshire, South East Staffordshire and Seisdon Peninsula, East Staffordshire, Cannock Chase, and Stoke-on-Trent.

Healthcare in Cornwall was until July 2022 the responsibility of Kernow clinical commissioning group, until it got replaced by Integrated care system, as a result of the Health and Care Act 2022. As far as the NHS is concerned, Cornwall includes the Isles of Scilly.

The "Greater Manchester Model" of NHS health care was a system uniquely devolved within England, by way of close integration with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and local authorities, led by the Mayor of Greater Manchester. In July 2022 the Greater Manchester integrated care system took over responsibility for health and social care in the conurbation. The financial plan for 2022–23 had an initial shortage of £187 million.

Healthcare in Leicestershire was the responsibility of three clinical commissioning groups covering West Leicestershire, Leicester City and East Leicestershire and Rutland until July 2022. As far as the NHS is concerned Rutland is generally treated as part of Leicestershire.

Healthcare in Norfolk was the responsibility of five clinical commissioning groups: Great Yarmouth and Waveney CCG, Norwich CCG, North Norfolk CCG, West Norfolk CCG and South Norfolk CCG, they merged in April 2020 becoming the Norfolk and Waveney CCG until they were replaced by an integrated care system in July 2022. Social Care is the responsibility of Norfolk County Council.

In England, a sustainability and transformation plan (STP) is a non-statutory requirement which promotes integrated provision of healthcare, including purchasing and commissioning, within each geographical area of the National Health Service. The plans were introduced in 2016 but by 2018 had been overtaken by progress towards integrated care systems.

United Kingdom health law concerns the laws in the United Kingdom concerning health care and medicine, primarily administered through the National Health Service.

References

  1. ↑ "What we do". Healthwatch. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  2. ↑ "Healthwatch England will have 'freedom to criticise CQC'". Health Service Journal. 25 February 2016. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
  3. ↑ "New Healthwatch England chief revealed". Health Service Journal. 22 November 2021. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
  4. ↑ "Will Healthwatch give patients a better deal?", The Guardian. Accessed 8 December 2014.
  5. ↑ "Anna Bradley, chair of Healthwatch England: standing up for patients", The Guardian. Accessed 8 December 2014.
  6. ↑ "£10m of Healthwatch cash 'goes missing'". Health Service Journal. 13 February 2014. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  7. ↑ "Revealed: Third of councils cut Healthwatch budgets". Health Service Journal. 18 June 2015. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  8. ↑ "How much funding is your local Healthwatch receiving for 2018/19?". Healthwatch. 1 November 2018. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  9. ↑ "NHS England and NHSI to give Healthwatch 'significant investment'". National Health Executive. 27 November 2018. Retrieved 30 December 2018.
  10. ↑ "Patient watchdog chair quits and tells Javid funding cuts are endangering 'its vital role'". Health Service Journal. 3 May 2022. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  11. ↑ "What is Healthwatch?". Department of health. Archived from the original on 7 September 2011. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
  12. ↑ "Five quit health watch dog". Leicester Mercury. 19 December 2014. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
  13. ↑ "Hospitals show 'shocking' lack of care discharging vulnerable patients". Guardian. 21 July 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  14. ↑ "People's Inquiry into London's NHS Supported by Unite the union, London and Eastern region London's NHS at the Crossroads" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.