New contract to run Healthwatch in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire begins
We are really excited to be expanding our area - and have been working hard behind-the-scenes to get ready for this new challenge ahead.
Our team has been busy fine-tuning the new Bristol and South Gloucestershire websites which, we hope, are easier to navigate, more picture led and hopefully engaging and informative and will, as a result, make it more straightforward for you, the patient, to leave your much-valued feedback on the health and social care services you use.
Our Board Chairman Georgie Bigg, said:
“We are very pleased to be given the opportunity to hear from the public about their experiences of health and social care services across the wider area of Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire. We recognise that each of these areas has unique needs and would encourage people to contact us to enable us to properly challenge for the best quality services for our local populations."
How we will work going forward
As part of the new contract we have promised to:
- Be more focused - in North Somerset we have an established Prioritisation Panel of staff and volunteers to assess patient feedback to help us devise a workplan. This year we will set up similar Panels in Bristol and South Gloucestershire to look at the information patients are giving us.
- Be inclusive: We are recruiting staff and volunteers to help us in our work. We are new to two of these geographical areas so are looking to make links with health and social care organisations, services and supporting groups.
- Use a co-production approach: We will engage with people with lived experiences, offering training and support so that they can be fully involved in our work.
Rowan Williams, Strategy Manager at Healthwatch North Somerset, said:
“We are looking forward to branching out into Bristol and South Gloucestershire, and getting to grips with the issues experienced by residents, patients and their loved ones. We need people in these areas to give us input and insight into the current issues that are affecting them.”
Meet us at our event
Find out more about your local Healthwatch's work and future plans at our Healthwatch Bristol, North Somerset and South Glos AGM which will be on October 29th at the Vintage Church, Hughenden Road, Weston, from 11am-1pm, all welcome. Confirm your attendance by email to rebecca@healthwatchnorthsomerset.co.uk so we can provide plenty of refreshments.
