As always, it has been a busy period for the Healthwatch team. What a privilege it was to attend the 2014 staff achievements awards for both the Acute Hospitals and the Health and Care Trusts; an opportunity to thank and acknowledge all the hard work, dedication, innovation and caring shown by our nurses, doctors, support staff and volunteers.

We attended a very informative briefing given by the Care Quality Commission on how the Commission wants to work more closely with local Healthwatch. In the future the Commission’s inspection teams will be working across the three service areas of Hospitals, Primary care and Adult social care.

When the Commission inspects any of these services within Worcestershire it will give Healthwatch Worcestershire the opportunity to provide information we have collected from patients, service users and carers to its inspectors. It is vital that members of the public, patients, service users and carers are our “eyes and ears” out there in the community, so contact us if you have any concerns or worries over the delivery your health and social care services.

We are continuing together evidence for the Urgent Care study by visiting the county’s Accident & Emergency Departments and Minor Injury Units at different days and times, speaking to patients about their experience and getting some facts and figures as to why they are using the services. A full report of our findings will be presented to the Clinical Commissioning Groups and Hospitals at the Health and Well Being Board.

We have attended and contributed to items discussed at the County Health and Overview Scrutiny Committee on plans to change the way Community Health services are to be delivered by establishing five core community or clinic based hubs.

The other significant subject discussed was the planned introduction of Personal Health Budgets which aims to give people with long term conditions and disabilities greater choice, flexibility and control over health care and support they receive. For those eligible for continuing NHS healthcare now have “a right to have” rather “than a right to ask “ If you want any further information on any of the above, or just want to make a contribution then contact us on www.healthwatchworcestershire.

co.uk or tel. 01386 550264 Peter Pinfield, Chairman, Healthwatch Worcestershire