Thousands of people have shared their experiences of health and care in Norfolk having a direct impact on improving services, according to a new report.
Hours after a Government announcement indicated that the functions of Healthwatch should be absorbed into local authorities and integrated care boards (ICBs), the organisation which gathers the views of people across the county to shape services is publishing its annual report.
Alex Stewart, its chief executive, said: “Despite the current Government’s push to apparently wipe out the views of patients from helping shape and design the health and care they get, we will continue to ensure their voices are heard for our remaining months of operation and our annual report demonstrates how we have done this over the last 12 months.”
The report, which you can read at https://healthwatchnorfolk.co.uk/reports/healthwatch-norfolk-annual-report-2024-25/, shows the organisation gathered almost 5300 pieces of feedback, helped around 200 people with advice and information around accessing care and finding additional support, and published 40 reports highlighting improvements and changes people would like to see.
Our other work through the year includes:
A voice for the vulnerable
Lobbied for the Norwich Walk-In Centre and Vulnerable Adults Service, which provides care to patients who have no fixed abode, to continue. In parallel with this, we gathered feedback from patients in person across Norfolk about the service. Although our lobbying contributed to a U-turn on plans to either close or alter the services, we will still publish a report to help demonstrate their importance which can used as evidence for communities if there are future attempts to remove the services.
Ensured the rights of carers are clear and a priority in both health and care. We worked with a team of carers of those with SMI (Serious Mental Illness) who are directly feeding into a new Carers Charter run by Norfolk’s mental health trust as well as collaborating with other organisations on an All Age Carers Strategy which helps out sets out carers rights and the support they need.
Highlighted concerns with health and police leaders from the Norfolk community around the Right Care Right Person system of providing acute mental health care and will continue to monitor feedback on this for the remainder of Healthwatch Norfolk’s existence.
The power of patient feedback
Some GP practices have introduced additional training and changes to signing-in systems for LGBTQIA+ patients. This followed feedback we gathered which showed around half of the people we spoke to were concerned being part of the LGBTQIA+ community affected their care. We are going to be gathering further feedback on that this summer to see if more work needs to be done.
Gathered feedback from over 80 people around end-of-life care in Norfolk through a partnership with Marie Curie Cancer Care. Those experiences are forming part of regional changes to the way this care will be offered to patients in the future.
New signage and volunteer guides are in place at the Community Diagnostic Centre at the James Paget University Hospital in Gorleston after receiving patient feedback around difficulties of navigating the new building.
Found out why under-25s and over-65s are not using the NHS App or other digital ways of accessing health care, and that feedback is used to work on future ways to encourage people to use the app.
Began a programme of regular care home visits across Norfolk to ensure residents and their families can share their experiences confidentially and independently. This has led to changes including one home using buzzers rather than bells for residents to alert staff which means a quieter sleep for residents, through to another allowing people who are able to serve their own breakfast to preserve their independence.
Talking to 4000 Year Six students at schools across Norfolk to find out their health and care views and empowering them to understand and challenge for better services.
Strengthening our links with the Polish community across Norfolk through receiving general feedback and they also fed directly into work around improving the support over-65s get from Norfolk Social Services.
The importance of independence
Continuing to highlight the concerns about poor access to NHS dental care, presented senior figures in the NHS in Norfolk with new research demonstrating the scale of the issues, and worked with NHS leaders and providers to ensure improvements in providing more emergency NHS appointments.
Setting up a Youth Council at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn to give 16- to 25-year-olds a voice. This has already looked at support for patients who may be victims of domestic violence and is working with the hospital around a buddying system to help support younger members of staff.
Signposting to services
We helped around 200 people with advice, support, and information on a range of different subjects. This included accessing emergency NHS dental appointments, how to complain about NHS care and the process of formally registering concerns, how to find and register with a GP, finding support groups and help for partners and relatives who were seriously ill, and even finding a recently bereaved man a place to spend Christmas Day as he was on his own.
Reaction
Healthwatch Norfolk Chief Executive Alex Stewart said: “We’re sharing this report at a time of great uncertainty. On Friday 26 June, we were informed that the 10-Year Plan and the Dash Review would be recommending that Healthwatch functions be subsumed into the core functions of the Integrated Care Board and local government – other independent NHS bodies will also be affected.
“We are deeply disappointed by this suggestion. Independence is not a luxury — it’s essential! Our ability to challenge, question, and advocate without fear or favour is what gives the public confidence that their voices are being heard and acted upon. Without it, the risk is that public engagement becomes a box-ticking exercise, rather than a powerful driver of accountability and improvement.
While the Government considers changes to the Health and Care Act and the sector awaits clarity on the future, we remain here, continuing our work with local people, supporting our volunteers, and ensuring that patient and public voices are not only heard, but respected.
“We’re incredibly proud of the work we’ve done, and incredibly grateful to all of you who’ve shared your stories with us.”
“The release of our annual report is bittersweet this year coming against a background of a Government which feels, to quote Wes Streeting in his rushed Friday early evening briefing to reporters rather than Healthwatch staff about our demise, that we are checkers and not doers.
“I hope our report demonstrates that ourselves and our colleagues across the country actually do both in a dedicated and professional way and he is always welcome to join my colleagues for a day to find out exactly what we do so he can speak with more knowledge and authority about the value of Healthwatch ahead of any future media interviews he does about us.
“While our team are undoubtedly bruised by what has happened, we are determined to continue doing our work for the remainder of Healthwatch Norfolk’s life and our priority remains the people of the county.
“Over the past year, we have worked hard to ensure carers are more at the core of decision-making and understanding about the support they receive. Dentistry remained a big concern and while NHS capacity remains a problem in the county, improvements have been made around the provision of emergency appointments although we are under no illusions there is still work to do.
“The value of the Norwich Walk-In Centre and Vulnerable Adults Service was demonstrated through the huge amount of feedback we received when there were proposals to alter both services. Even though our work and lobbying from across the county meant there was a U-turn on the proposals, we will be shortly publishing a full report to make it really clear to local, regional, and national decision-makers how important these services are to Norfolk. What was particularly impactful were the many people helped by the Vulnerable Adults Service who shared their moving and emotional stories face-to-face with our team sharing the support they have had, with some saying they would not be alive without it.
“And many more people have been able to have their feedback shared directly with decision-makers through us whether they are Year Six pupils taking part in the Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service’s Crucial Crew, under-25s in West Norfolk working with us through our Youth Council project, recently bereaved relatives sharing their views of end-of-life care, or Norfolk’s Polish population.
“Going forward, this is our major worry. When we are gone, who will represent the vulnerable or offer an independent voice for those concerned about their care? Over and over again, we hear from people they do not trust the authorities to do anything about their concerns or even push them down the list, so they find it harder to get help if they complain and are seen as rocking the boat.
“While our future looks fairly bleak, we would ask the people of Norfolk to ask their local councillors and MPs to ask who is going to represent the vulnerable and be an independent voice in helping to improve and shape care in the future. Taking this work in-house leaves the impression that the NHS and social care will be ‘marking its own homework’ with both accountability and improvement looking to be less of a priority without any independent eyes holding people to account.”
