Healthwatch England Annual Report 21/22
A trusted partner
Healthwatch was established nearly ten years ago and in that time we have raised the voices of people who use health and social care in planning and delivering effective services.
Last year alone, the Healthwatch network supported over two million people to share their experiences of care or access the advice they need. This reach provides unrivalled insight. Information enables policymakers to put themselves in people’s shoes, to understand their reality and the issues that need tackling to improve care.
We are an independent partner that works proactively with people to find solutions that improve care quality and safety.
Making your voice count
The Healthwatch England annual report is a reminder of the positive steps that happen when people speak up and health and care policymakers listen. It also highlights the importance of including everyone in the conversation about better care.
Sometimes, it’s about bringing big issues to the attention of those in power. For example, our work advocating for fairer NHS dentistry has highlighted that people on low incomes are increasingly struggling to afford NHS dental charges and are avoiding treatment.
On other occasions, the patient voice helps identify areas of care that need to be reviewed. For example, people have had to turn down faster care because they couldn’t afford to travel to hospitals further away. Thanks to NHS England taking our recommendation on board, 6,700 people have already been offered support to get care away from their usual hospital. This opportunity is usually limited to people who can afford the cost of travel and accommodation.
- Explored vaccine confidence with people from different backgrounds.
- Highlighted the negative impact poor NHS admin can have.
- Helped the Government update key hospital discharge guidance to put patient safety first.
- Raised public concerns about how the NHS collects and uses patient data.
- Pushed for improvements to non-emergency patient transport services.
- Called for an urgent response to hospital waiting lists, and better interim communication.
- Warned that improvements to NHS dentistry are too slow, leaving thousands in pain.
- Uncovered that only a third of NHS Trusts fully comply with their duty to help patients with sensory impairments and learning disabilities.
- Campaigned for everyone to be given healthcare information in a way they understand.
Read the full Healthwatch Annual Report
Take five minutes to share your experiences
As your local Healthwatch, here in Halton, we need your views and experiences to help improve services locally and to feed into the national Healthwatch network.
