Healthwatch Transition: The work so far

Background to Healthwatch Brighton and Hove 

Healthwatch Brighton and Hove is currently being set up, but will help local people get the best out of their health and care services, and give them a voice so they can influence how health and care services are provided locally. It will also provide local people with information about local health and care services, and support them if they need help to resolve a complaint about their NHS care or treatment.

Healthwatch organisations are being set up in local areas across England. They are statutory organisations brought about through the passing of the government’s Health and Social Care Act, 2012. The legislation requires all local areas in England to have a Healthwatch organisation from 1st April 2013.

The role of Healthwatch Brighton and Hove 

• Obtain the views of people about local health and social care services, and make those views known to those involved in commissioning, providing and monitoring health and care services
• Promote and enable the involvement of local people in the commissioning and provision of local health and social care services and how they are monitored
• Recommend investigation or special review of services, either via Healthwatch England, or directly to the Care Quality Commission
• Provide advice, signposting and information to the public about accessing health and social care services and help them to make informed choices about what services to use
• Write reports and make recommendations about how health and social care services could or should be improved and ask for responses from providers
• Play a role in the preparation of the statutory Joint Strategic Needs Assessments and Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategies on which local commissioning decisions will be made
• Provide an Independent Complaints Advocacy Service (ICAS) which empowers anyone who wishes to resolve a complaint about healthcare commissioned and/or provided by the NHS in England