Issue - meetings

Frances Carroll, Chair, Healthwatch Barking and Dagenham, presented their Annual Report for 2014/15 and explained that they had looked at both health and social care services issues during the year and that the reports emanating from those had been well received by service providers.  The work had included 13 areas of service provision, and six enter and view visits.

Frances Carroll drew the Board’s attention to the engagement and communications strategy they had in place, including the events they had participated in, the wide age and needs ranges they had targeted, public consultation and the resulting feedback they had achieved, and the information and signposting service to health and social care services.  Healthwatch had also participated in a number of networks and partnerships, including the Board and its Sub-Groups.  Frances then provided some insight into the reviews Healthwatch had undertaken, the details of which were set out in the report, which had included:

·  Speech and Language Therapy (SALT) Service,

·  Hearing Impairment awareness for Adults and Children,

·  Adult and Children’s A&E Service,

·  London Ambulance Service (LAS),

·  Orthotic Services,

·  Maxillofacial Services

Melody Williams, Integrated Care Director Barking & Dagenham,NELFT, advised that NELFT provide the SALT Service and were actively working with the CCG to review the service and demand levels and in due course would report back through the Children and Maternity Sub-Group to the Board.

Healthwatch agreed to provide in future annual reports the numerical details of how many of the recommendations they had made had been adopted and how many had not. 

Discussion was held on the representation and active participation of local residents in health care planning.  The Board noted that Healthwatch was not on the Board of the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and that the composition of the CCG Board was prescribed by regulation, which included a lay representative.  It was noted, however, that Healthwatch or any other organisation or individual could attend the CCG Board meetings, as they were open to the public.  Anne Bristow, Strategic Director for Service Development and Integration, LBBD, advised that there was active participation with residents occurring, however, the activities may not be known outside of the individual organisations and it would be beneficial to look at both current participation and future engagement at a future meeting of the Board. 

The Board:

(i)  Noted the Healthwatch Annual Report for 2014/15 and the impact that Healthwatch had had during the last year; and 

(ii)  Asked for a report on local residents’ current participation and future engagement in health care planning across the Partnership to be presented to a future meeting of the Board.