Agenda item

Members are asked to consider the information presented within the report and note the key issues described.

Alex Francis, Project Coordinator, Healthwatch B&NES addressed the Select Committee, a summary of her update is set out below. 

Broadening the Healthwatch B&NES volunteer base and public ‘voice’

In October 2016, Healthwatch B&NES attended a careers fair at Bath Spa University. We had interest from 15 students who were looking for volunteering opportunities and/or to broaden their experience of community projects. The students expressed an interest in supporting various elements of Healthwatch’s work, including running social media campaigns, supporting delivery of focus groups and to collect / represent the views of a range of local people, such as people that use mental health services and people with learning difficulties.

The Healthwatch B&NES volunteer support officer is now working to train the students and support them to become involved with the project. This is a great success and something that we hope will add an extra dimension to the ‘public voice’ that we hear and represent.

Learning from patient experience

Healthwatch B&NES is delighted to be working with St. James’s Surgery and BaNES Clinical Commissioning Group to explore what works well when engaging patients in changes to General Practice.

Healthwatch B&NES is keen to make sure that patients are given an opportunity to get involved in any changes that are proposed to their GP practice. We are working with St James’s Surgery in Bath to learn how patients were informed and consulted about changes that took place to their practice last year, for example: what information was provided and how; what approaches were used to gather patient feedback; the type of support that was offered to patients needing assistance to respond; and, how patients were informed of the outcome.

Although only a small cohort of patients are involved in this project, we hope that their experiences will provide key learning that can be translated into local best practice for future consultation. A report of the findings will be presented to the B&NES Joint Primary Care Co-commissioning Committee in March 2017. Healthwatch B&NES would like to thank the staff and partners at St. James’s Surgery for their support and work towards this project.

B&NES, Swindon and Wiltshire Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP)

Since the three local Healthwatch (B&NES, Swindon and Wiltshire) began their involvement in this process we have acted as a ‘critical friend’ to the STP Board and subsequently, the communications and engagement work-stream. Our aims are simple, we are asking for:

·  Consistent, accessible and easy to understand information for the public and VCSE colleagues, explaining what the STP is, and the impacts that any plans and proposals may have on the services people use and the care they receive

·  Inclusive, meaningful, timely and appropriate engagement with the public and VCSE colleagues on the STP, in order for them to better understand how the health and social care system may be changing and to help shape and influence this based on local need

Healthwatch B&NES is working to keep local people and VCSE colleagues informed, including updating the website with information about the STP as it emerges, sharing information via social media channels and including information and links to documents in the monthly Healthwatch e-bulletin.

Councillor Dine Romero asked if the role of Healthwatch was sufficiently clear following Your Care, Your Way and the award of the Prime Provider contract to Virgin Care.

Alex Francis replied that no specific conversation had taken place with Virgin Care about the role of Healthwatch going forwards, but that she expected their role to continue as it does now, i.e. as an independent voice, representing the views and experiences of the public. She added that it was important for the public and voluntary sector colleagues to be informed as soon as possible about what is going on to prevent concern around services and confusion.

Councillor Vic Pritchard, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care & Health said that the transition period was very sensitive as it involves the transfer of staff. He said that he sees Healthwatch having a very similar role and that they would be able to be very effective during the first 100 days of the contract from April 1^st 2017.

Councillor Paul May said that he felt that the Select Committee would support Healthwatch in their future work.

Councillor Lin Patterson stated that she thought that the STP was a disappointing and vague document and would welcome more detail as soon as possible.

The Chair thanked Alex Francis for her update on behalf of the Select Committee.