Agenda item

A presentation will be provided by Healthwatch Warwickshire on its Annual Report for 2020-21. A copy of the annual report is available here – Chris Bain

Elizabeth Hancock, Chair of Healthwatch Warwickshire (HWW) introduced this item. A presentation had been circulated with the agenda covering the following areas.

• Performance Report: How we are working
  • All staff working from home
  • Virtual board meetings
  • Telephone service to the public
  • Website enquiries; use of social media
  • Information on service changes (via website) updated regularly
  • Engagement strategy with all key partners implemented
  • Public engagement and outreach largely on a virtual basis
  • Surveys and projects delivered

• Performance Report: Activity May – July 2021
  • This comprised pieces of feedback, signposting people to partner agencies, increased social media profile and use of the HWW website as well as an increase in the HWW mailing list
• Our Influencing role May – July 2021
  • Attending 49 strategic meetings
  • Within this reference to the ICS and the closer work with Healthwatch Coventry
  • Project work which raised issues and highlighted concerns.

Chris Bain, Chief Executive of HWW then spoke on the following areas:

• Published reports:
  • Annual Report (a statutory requirement)
  • Dentistry in Warwickshire
  • Carers – understanding your health and wellbeing needs
  • Context on the core functions of HWW and the added value from identifying trends and emerging priorities, leading to the above reports.
• Carers survey highlights
  • This was in response to growing enquiries from carers about their needs. There was recognition of the effort and emphasis of support for carers in Warwickshire, both from WCC and the voluntary and community sector. Plans to revisit the exercise in the Spring of 2022.
  • 239 people had responded to the survey and key data was provided from the analysis undertaken. 
• Dentistry survey highlights
  • A continuing issue first identified in May 2020
  • Calls to 53 dental practices which showed variance in the number taking NHS patients.
  • A particular issue in the Stratford and Rugby areas where none of the 20 practices offered NHS services; approximately half of those in other areas offered NHS services.
  • The position seemed to be deteriorating and there were long term implications for oral health, including cancer.
  • The requirements for cleaning and ventilation were restricting capacity.
  • It was considered that dentistry should be commissioned locally, and this was planned as part of the ICS arrangements, but had recently been delayed until April 2023.
• Looking forward - showing the top four areas people had contacted Healthwatch about, both from enquiries and the annual report. This showed increasing concerns in regard to mental health. Access to GPs and dentistry remained a problem too.
• Future Priorities
  • Strategic direction after Covid19
  • The future for patient groups/standing conference
  • Patient voice in integrated care systems
  • Projects:
    • NHS111
    • Diabetes
    • NHS administration
    • Deafness and accessing care services
    • Lived experiences of people with learning disabilities
    • Health and social care forum

The following questions and comments were submitted:

• On the carers’ strategy, a question on next steps how to take the findings, explore these issues further and secure meaningful outcomes as a partnership. HWW was working with the Carers’ Forum and voluntary sector partners. An aim to co-design the support that carers needed. There was an emerging carers’ culture which needed to be responded to.
• It was questioned who funded carers’ support and was thought to be the county council. A carers’ strategy was being developed across Coventry and Warwickshire and the findings of the survey could feed into that strategy.
• A view that this was an issue that should be discussed at the Place level.
• A suggestion to provide meaningful communications in an easy read format to inform carers of their rights under the Care Act legislation.
• Many people did not view themselves as a carer when supporting family members. The language used in communications was important. There was a low proportion of male respondents to surveys.  
• On dentistry, the Chair considered that NHS England should report to the Board on the commissioning proposals. She was concerned on the implications for children and risk of undiagnosed oral cancer cases.

Resolved

That the Health and Wellbeing Board notes the presentation from Healthwatch Warwickshire.