Issue - meetings

Purpose: Healthwatch West Berkshire to report on views gathered on healthcare services in the district and their key activities.

Jamie Evans, Area Director from Healthwatch West Berkshire, gave an update on Healthwatch’s current activities.

During the discussion the following points were highlighted:

·       The Healthwatch West Berkshire Annual Report would be published at the end of June.

·       The Healthwatch work plan for 2025/26 would be focussed on supporting people to take agency in their own health. This had two key workstreams. Firstly, in person events and drop-in sessions would take place across the district at different community locations and would be based on varying topics such as health management in the golden years. Secondly Healthwatch newsletters would provide local and national information and encourage people to be involved and provide feedback.

·       During the last few months Healthwatch published a report on Everyday Heroes about dementia and the experiences of carers particularly of isolation.  The Healthwatch West Berkshire website had all the reports.

·       Healthwatch ensured that they reached people through digital and non-digital methods. Their focus was to encourage people to take more agency in their own care. To improve awareness about services to ask for. They also sought feedback from services.

·       Healthwatch had been continuing to address the ongoing women’s health hub issue. This was a BOB ICB initiative to use NHS England funding to deliver a women’s health hub. The BOB ICB were now looking at a women’s health strategy. Healthwatch were supporting this work to ensure that the women of West Berkshire were engaged with.

·       It was advised that responses from organisations included in the Everyday Heroes report had been provided and would be added to the report shortly.

·       It was highlighted that the community work by Healthwatch was welcomed. It was advised that surveys and feedback were key to understanding the patient voice. Healthwatch was a small team. There was not a regular programme for enter and view, but they were able to do so if needed. They were looking to increase the number of volunteers and improve community support. There would be joint working with The Advocacy People.

·       It was noted by Jamie Evans that the scrutiny of this committee was important and Healthwatch would include this work in their newsletter for public awareness.

Purpose: Healthwatch West Berkshire to report on views gathered on healthcare services in the district.

Fiona Worby (Lead Officer from Healthwatch West Berkshire) advised the Committee that Healthwatch West Berkshire were in the process of creating their work plan for next year. They were closing some projects and writing up their reports. A full report would be provided for the Health Scrutiny Committee in June 2025.

It was advised there was concern raised regarding funding for a women’s health hub which they were pursuing. This had been raised with the ICB and with the Health and Wellbeing Board.

RESOLVED to note the report.