Latest news with #Healthwatch
Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Woman shares NHS waiting list advice that could help bring forward your surgery
If you are stuck on a waiting list waiting for an appointment or procedure on the NHS, there is a way to speed up the process according to one patient - if you're willing to travel If you're on the NHS waiting list for an operation or treatment and are feeling disheartened by the lengthy wait, a woman has shared some advice that could speed up the process. Shannon Barnes, a former nurse, took to TikTok to share her advice in a video. "I'm so shocked about how many people don't know about this," she began. "If you've been on a waiting list for months, this is really going to help you." So what can be done? Shannon revealed there's an NHS scheme called Patient Choice which allows patients willing to travel anywhere in England to get the care they need. "You go on My Planned Care [ NHS website ]," she continued. "Then you can select your hospital [from a list of regions] and click what surgery you are after." To illustrate her point, Shannon showcased that children's cardiac surgery at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London currently has an average wait time for first outpatient appointments of around 10 weeks, while the average waiting time for an operation is 19 weeks. By repeating this process with different hospitals, you can then compare waiting times. "So if you are prepared to travel, this is going to be incredible," Shannon exclaimed. She concluded: "I know how expensive private healthcare is and I really wish that I had known about this sooner." One TikTok user praised in response: "I only knew this from a wonderful doctor who changed my life. I was on a waiting list for an op, changed hospital in and out within five months, what an amazing doctor I had." Healthwatch, the independent champion for people who use health and social care services in England, states online: "If you use the NHS, in most cases, you have the right to choose the hospital where you get the care you need. "Few people exercise this right – but if you do, you could cut down on how long you wait for care." And supporting Shannon's tip, it continues: "When a healthcare professional – like your GP – refers you for a routine health condition, in most cases, you have the right to choose which hospital or service they refer you to. "You may also be able to choose a clinical team led by a specific consultant or healthcare professional as long as the team offers the treatment you need. Your healthcare professional will share at least five suitable options with you, where possible. You can decide which to choose based on factors like:". "You can choose during your appointment if you want. But if you'd rather take more time to think about your options, you can do that too."
BBC News
7 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Planned closure of local Healthwatch criticised
Concern has been raised about plans to scrap local Healthwatch organisations and bring feedback and engagement acts as the independent patient voice, feeding back experiences, complaints and local needs to NHS trusts and primary care providers, including integrated care boards (ICB).But the government has announced plans to scrap all 153 of the local boards with Health Secretary Wes Streeting saying the NHS needs "more doers and fewer checkers".One patient who has used Healthwatch on the Isle of Wight said bringing the service in-house would be allowing the ICB to "mark their own homework". Ieuan Jehu turned to Healthwatch Isle of Wight last year when the final dentist practice in Freshwater providing NHS services announced it was to close. He said "Healthwatch were invalable in helping to save the service and find a new operator to take the surgery over. My experience with them was excellent, they listened and kept me informed of what was happening."Mr Jehu said he would welcome a stronger organisation representing patients as sometimes Healthwatch "lacked teeth", but said ICBs themselves would not be able to advocate for patients and hold their own management to account. Healthwatch chairs across the South have said the plan will undermine the independence and effectiveness of the public voice in health and social Veronica Barry, Executive Director of Healthwatch Oxfordshire said they were proud of their work engaging with people and communities across the county, including those who don't always give their views."The voice outside the system for patients to advocate or listen on their behalf was really important. Once you bring that function within a system, within health and care it, it can be very difficult for them to really engage and hear." Siobhain McCurruch, Healthwatch Area Director Hampshire and Portsmouth added "it's hard to understand the reasoning behind dismantling something that will eventually need to be rebuilt," adding "we urge the Government to urgently rethink this very important decision that will have an adverse impact on the local, independent voice".In the statement, the Department for Health and Social care (DHSC) acknowledged the successes of Healthwatch but said "these changes will make things clearer for patients and give them a stronger voice. Through our 10 Year Health Plan we will bring patient care into the 21st century, using tech and AI to make checks more rigorous and efficient and ensure we never turn a blind eye to failure."The timeframe for the closure of the Healthwatch network is still unclear and is subject to further legislation by the now, the organisations say they will continue to fufill their role and are encouraging patients to contact them about their health and social care experiences. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
‘Mistake' to close health watchdog service, says York manager
The manager of Healthwatch York has said government plans to close the watchdog service are a 'mistake' – and called on local and national leaders to rethink the proposals. Siân Balsom said she is still 'reeling from the news' that the country-wide Healthwatch Network is to close, with the service's role due to be absorbed into local councils and integrated care boards. But Ms Balsom, writing in The Press, said: 'We're not giving up or giving in just yet.' She said Healthwatch York started in April 2013 to put people 'at the heart of health and social care'. And Ms Balsom said York residents can 'keep using and keep relying' on the service until the closure has been finalised. 'We're not giving up or giving in just yet,' says Healthwatch York manager The Healthwatch network is an independent statutory body which patients can contact to improve NHS standards of care. But under the government's plans, people will be encouraged to share their feedback via the NHS app instead. The health secretary, West Streeting, has said 'there are way too many checkers and not enough doers' in the health system. Responding to questions about the closure of Healthwatch England at the Local Government Association's annual conference in Liverpool, he said: 'I think there are lots of ways in which we have tried to create new bodies to fulfil the failure of other parts of the state to do their job effectively. 'I mean, the revolution we're leading in patient voice will mean we can get rid of some of the intermediaries, and we don't need ventriloquists to speak for patients, patients can speak for ourselves if we're given the opportunity to do it.' Siân Balsom, manager of Healthwatch York (Image: Supplied) Ms Balsom said she did 'not recognise this description of our work' from the health secretary. 'We ARE doers,' she said. 'We're out and about week in, week out, visiting care homes, local libraries, sitting down with carers groups and disabled people's organisations, community groups and local charities. 'We work closely with our voluntary sector partners to amplify the voices of those least heard in health and care. 'And we choose our priorities based on what you tell us every day – with more than 160 people in York speaking to us in June 2025 alone.' Ms Balsom said Healthwatch York has 'supported people to navigate complex systems and access the help they need'. 'We've published guides to mental health and wellbeing support and dementia support. 'We've challenged gaps in mental health support both when our mental health hospital was closed at short notice and when we heard ongoing concerns about crisis care. 'We've worked to improve access to GP services. 'We've independently evaluated the changes to the adult ADHD and autism pathway. 'We've taken the concerns of deaf people to the heart of the NHS, helping shape the Accessible Information Standard.' Ms Balsom described the proposals to close the Healthwatch Network as a 'mistake'. 'We urge local and national leaders to reflect on what will be lost if Healthwatch is stripped of its independence,' she said. 'An effective health and social care system must include a strong, visible, and impartial patient voice, one that listens without fear or favour, and speaks up without interference.'
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
'We're not giving up or giving in just yet,' says Healthwatch York manager
Following the government's announcement that the Healthwatch Network is to close, Siân Balsom, manager of Healthwatch York, has called on local and national leaders to rethink the proposals. Press readers will already know the government has decided to abolish Healthwatch England and the network of local Healthwatch organisations. Truth be told, here at Healthwatch York, my small team and I are all still reeling from the news. But we're not giving up or giving in just yet. Healthwatch York started in April 2013. Our role has always been clear to us – putting people at the heart of health and social care. Because the best people to shape services are those using them or, in too many cases, struggling to. Across England, local Healthwatch organisations have played a vital role in raising patient concerns. We shine a light on service failures. We drive improvements through honest, evidence-based reporting. Here in York, we have supported people to navigate complex systems and access the help they need. We've published guides to mental health and wellbeing support and dementia support. We've challenged gaps in mental health support both when our mental health hospital was closed at short notice and when we heard ongoing concerns about crisis care. We've worked to improve access to GP services. We've independently evaluated the changes to the adult ADHD and autism pathway. We've taken the concerns of deaf people to the heart of the NHS, helping shape the Accessible Information Standard. We've worked with the universities in our city to make sure more York voices are heard in research. These achievements were possible because you trusted us to speak up on your behalf. Not as part of the system but as a critical friend holding it to account. We have a seat at the table – attending the Health and Wellbeing Board and other key strategic meetings. But we've always known this isn't our seat – it belongs to each and every one of you, and we use everything we hear every time we take up that seat. Our independence is what enables us to speak both with authority and with integrity. Your voices are what gives our independence real power. We never forget the responsibility we carry to make sure you are heard. We've been told our roles will be absorbed into local authorities and integrated care boards. Our role in listening to people and gathering feedback will be replaced by the NHS app. We have serious concerns about those voices that will never be heard in such a system. Those who don't have smartphones, or the data to use them. Those living with health conditions that mean regular hospital stays are inevitable, and fear speaking out will impact their long-term care. Those who feel they are fighting the system already and have lost faith in its ability to change. Those who just want to tell their story, in their own words and their own time. We know this matters, because people frequently let us know that in telling us it is the first time this happens for them. Having read the NHS 10-year plan and Penny Dash's second review of patient safety, there is real concern they simply don't understand what we do. We've been described as 'ventriloquists' and 'checkers' in a system that needs more doers. We do not recognise this description of our work. We ARE doers. We're out and about week in, week out, visiting care homes, local libraries, sitting down with carers groups and disabled people's organisations, community groups and local charities. We work closely with our voluntary sector partners to amplify the voices of those least heard in health and care. And we choose our priorities based on what you tell us every day – with more than 160 people in York speaking to us in June 2025 alone. We believe the proposed changes are a mistake. We urge local and national leaders to reflect on what will be lost if Healthwatch is stripped of its independence. An effective health and social care system must include a strong, visible, and impartial patient voice, one that listens without fear or favour, and speaks up without interference. Despite the announcement, for us it is business as usual. We will continue at least until new legislation confirms the abolition and this is not expected until 2026. Your voices, your experiences, helping you access the help you need – these remain our priority. Email us at healthwatch@ or phone: 01904 621133. If like us you think independent voice matters, and you want to raise your concerns, please contact your local MP. We also expect to be sharing a petition alongside our Healthwatch network colleagues shortly.
The Guardian
07-07-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Demise of Healthwatch England will do NHS patients a disservice
Labour's dismal record on providing an independent voice for patients in health and social care continues with 'offstage' news of the demise of Healthwatch England. Twenty years ago, as the chair of Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health, I was suddenly summoned by the then Labour minister, Rosie Winterton, to be told that the commission was to be abolished. It had only just been set up 2003 in the wake of anger about its abolition of the successful Community Health Councils in that year. The disillusionment of thousands of patients and service users who gave their time and effort to the new system was palpable, so much so that few felt able to participate in the subsequent ill-fated LINks community engagement system, which never got off the ground. It was left to the Conservative government to address the absence of users' voices in health and social care. In 2013, it set up Healthwatch England, which gradually went about overcoming well-founded cynicism, building its independent, local, community-based networks in every English local authority. The Healthwatch network has involved many thousands of people to bring the experience of service users to bear, using genuine local knowledge, fuelled by an enduring belief in the principles of a quality NHS and social care system free at the point of use. Abolition will again alienate many of those knowledgeably critical friends whose support Labour might have expected to attract and who will now express their views in other GrantOutgoing chair, Healthwatch Haringey
