Healthwatch Isle of Wight is reminding residents to have their say on the health and social care issues they want it to prioritise for the coming year, as its survey draws to a close.
The health and social care watchdog, which was established in April 2013, plays a key role in helping Islanders get the best out of their local health and care services and giving the community a voice on the issues that are most important to them.
Over the last year, it has successfully secured changes to local maternity services and to the experiences of inpatients on wards at St Mary’s. It has also made recommendations to providers of child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), undertaken visits to GP practices and launched a major survey of deaf and hard of hearing residents to help improve communications with health and care service providers.
In July, Healthwatch Isle of Wight launched an Island-wide survey to enable Island residents to have their say on the issues they would like the organisation to take up on their behalf over the coming 12 months.
The survey, which should take no more than 5 minutes to complete, highlights some of the issues flagged in earlier community discussions and through over 700 pieces of feedback received by the organisation in the last year. Amongst these, mental health issues emerged as the key concern, with five other areas – complaints, navigating the care system, diagnostic pathways and support for adults and children with autism, hospital appointments and self-care (particularly the quality of information given) also highlighted.
Healthwatch Isle of Wight Non-Executive Director Zoryna O’Donnell said:
“I hope that we have demonstrated over the last year that we are able as an organisation to give the community a voice and to help make positive changes to the way that health and social care services are delivered on the Island. It’s important that Island residents now seize this opportunity to shape the focus of our work for the next 12 months so we can look into the issues that concern them the most and make a tangible difference to the services they receive.”
The survey, which will run until 31 August, can be accessed via https://www.healthwatchisleofwight.co.uk/
Healthwatch Isle of Wight will also have a stand (stand 130) at the Wolverton Manor Garden Fair on the weekend of 30th-31st August, where copies of the survey will be available to complete and staff will also be on hand to signpost people to health and care services and listen to concerns/feedback raised.
