Update - making a difference to health and care
It has been a busy time at Healthwatch Coventry and we have been making a difference for local people through different pieces of work.
We continue to hear from people about the challenges of accessing local NHS services and the impact of waiting times.
This is a theme around the country meaning it has been picked up by Healthwatch England. They have produced a report: State of health and care from the patient perspective highlighting issues with key areas of care, including GPs, dentists, hospitals, and social care.
From our visits to six wards at University Hospital Coventry we heard what patients and their visitors think of their care. We also saw how the wards run. As a result we ask the managers of the hospital to say what will be done about the things we find. The first visit report is now published.
Our discussion group about the new Community Diagnostic Centre, to be built near the centre of Coventry, highlighted what local people thought was important in the design. Things such as traffic flow, clear signage and the personal touch. By working with the project manager local people's points are being included in the design work.
We make sure those who plan and run our local health and care services hear themes, experiences and stories and use this in their decisions.
For example our work from last year uncovering the poor experiences of maternity care from asylum seeker and refugee women continues to challenge current ways of doing things, bringing important changes. New ways of communicating and providing services are being developed. Services are being connected and there has been a challenge to national policy of moving pregnant women around the country, which fragments their maternity care.
Our areas of focus
Our Steering Group has reviewed our work priorities so that our focus follows what we hear from you. We have added our interest in how NHS bodies respond to complaints and new processes for investigating harms which are being put in place in NHS organisations.
1. Patient care on hospital wards
Enter and view visits to hospital wards and A&E at University Hospital Coventry.
2. New Community Diagnostic Centre at Paybody building
To feed into communications about the Centre, continue links over the design and potential work related to routes to and between services.
3. NHS complaints handling in and across different NHS bodies
Building on work started with UHCW and conversations with Integrated Care Board - potential input from us about clear information about complaints process, and good practice in handling complaints based on peoples experiences.
4. Process for responding to harm in NHS services
Scoping of how we can help NHS organisations to help explain the new processes in a way that people can understand.
Downloads
Healthwatch Coventry areas for focused work, issues we are watching, and work we are scoping
