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Decision details

Draft Healthwatch Strategy

Decision Maker: Health and Wellbeing Board

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: No

Is subject to call in?: No

Decisions:

8.1  Malcolm Alexander told the Board that Jon Williams would no longer be the Director at Healthwatch Hackney as he has  taken up another post.

 

8.2  Malcolm Alexander introduced the draft strategy, which is due to be published  in September 2022.  A consultation exercise would be carried out in the coming months. The aim was for the work of Healtwatch Hackney to become more outcome focused. One of the organisation's primary roles was to collect information from local people about their experiences of health and social care services. Healthwatch Hackney wished to enhance this role and to increase the number of volunteers who assist with ‘enter and view’, accessing health and social care services and discussing how services could improve. 

 

8.3The key priorities in the draft Strategy were:

 

·  Mental Health Services

 

·  The 3 year plan was to consider acute services more closely with attendance at the East London Foundation Trust to speak to ward patients about their experiences on accessing services, on the wards and the discharge arrangements. Consideration would be given to issues around ethnicity, gender and age in relation to detention and the use of restraint.

 

·  Involvement of Young People through co-production

 

·  To look more closely at the outcome from the 2021 Ofsted report. Healthwatch Hackney also wished to look at the needs of young carers and further develop the co-production charter to ensure that younger people are more fully involved in this. Consideration would also be given to young people with mental health problems being moved outside the area together with the transition from young people to adulthood.

 

·  Influencing Primary Care Services

 

There were concerns over the number of GP practices that had closed in recent years and work was needed in this area, including succession planning, ensuring that primary care is not disrupted. A further piece of work would centre on patient participant group (PPG) development. Where a practice was at risk the PPG would have a much more active role, enabling patients to have empowerment and influence in practices. 

 

·  The Redevelopment of St Leonard’s Hospital

 

It was believed that all the land at St Leonards Hospital should be used for health and social care services. There were good opportunities in St Leonards to develop the people’ plan. Healthwatch was currently in the process of employing a worker to start the work around effective involvement of local people in the development of plans for the hospital.

 

·  Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

 

Many GP practices were not registering people who were migrants or refugees or did not possess proper paperwork or identification. The aim was to ensure that no one was denied registration at a GP practice and that GP websites are accessible to all.

 

8.4  Councillor Chris Kennedy thanked Jon Williams for his work on the Board together with the Integrated Commissioning Care Partnership. He considered that the priority areas outlined in the draft Strategy were good, with the exception of the focus on NHS estates such as St Leonards, in particular so early on before ownership was determined. The site would have to be developed over time with the partnership with difficult decisions to be made.

 

8.5  Mayor Glanville thanked Jon Williams for his work and achievements while Director of Healthwatch Hackney. He stressed the need for the Healthwatch Hackney Board to continue to be supported. Mayor Glanville paid tribute to the former Chair of Healthwatch Hackney, Rupert Tyson who had died this year. He stressed the need to work towards St Leonards ownership, following which there would be the co-production around services. He referred to the Holloway Prison site as an example of where a good planning document can ensure genuinely affordable housing and community facilities on a site that is in national ownership and there were lessons to learn from this.

 

8.6  Mayor Glanville stressed that Healthwatch Hackney had a crucial role in

holding the system to account. He stated that there had been much reassurance around access to the health system for refugees and migrants and those without documentation. There were challenges in this regard and outcomes could be used as learning. Mayor Glanville thanked Healthwatch Hackney for the report and its strategic direction, together with the work it carried out. 

 

8.7  The Chair told the Board that the Hackney Scrutiny Panel would be considering

primary care in Hackney at its meeting the following week, which would focus on many of the points made in the strategy. He asked for clarification on the plans for the consultation on the strategy. The Chair confirmed that the strategy would be promoted as much as possible as part of the consultation.

 

8.8  Malcolm Alexander responded that St Leonards was an opportunity for local people to influence developments at St Leonards. There was a need for discussions to agree on how to influence the decision makers. He agreed that the transfer of NHS property to the Homerton Hospital was essential.  Malcolm Alexander told the Board that the plans for consultation on the strategy were currently being drawn up. 

 

RESOLVED:

 

·  To note the draft Strategy 2022-25

Publication date: 12/05/2022

Date of decision: 09/03/2022

Decided at meeting: 09/03/2022 - Health and Wellbeing Board

Accompanying Documents: