Service Description: In March 2012, the government introduced a new law (the Health & Social Care Act 2012) requiring each local authority area to set up a new organisation called Healthwatch by April 2013. Healthwatch will help provide information and advice to Islanders about health and social care services, signpost people to services -so they understand the choice of care available - and involve people to help improve and shape these services in the future. Healthwatch will effectively act as a consumer champion, making the views and experiences of the local community known to the people making decisions about these services, both locally and nationally.
Answer: HealthWatch will be the independent consumer champion for the public i.e. service users, citizens, carers and patients – locally and nationally – to promote better outcomes in health for all and in social care for adults. At the local authority level, Local HealthWatch will act as a point of contact for individuals, community groups and voluntary organisations when dealing with health and social care. Local HealthWatch will have a seat on local health and wellbeing boards to influence commissioning decisions by representing the views of local stakeholders. Information that Local HealthWatch gathers on patients’ and the public’s views and experiences of the NHS will inform HealthWatch England’s role in influencing health and social care services at the national level.