The role and impact of Healthwatch Brighton and Hove during the coronavirus pandemic: activity report covering January to April 2020

Highlights from our work from January to April 2020

Patient feedback

We continued to receive questions, experiences and feedback on health and social care services. We provided advice, signposted, and shared information with city leaders to help them with their approach to this crisis.

Raising issues

We escalated over 30 concerns and questions to health providers and decision makers covering 20 different topics. We also flagged our concerns to Healthwatch England.

Relationships

We solidified our relationships with city leaders gaining privileged access to information. We also built new relationships with key health professionals.

Some of the issues we raised

We pushed for GP appointments to be adapted for the deaf community; for the development of emergency dental hubs; and we highlighted where basic amenities could not be accessed.

Mailshots

We issued 24 separate updates to our 1,400 strong community which includes the public, MPs, Councillors, the media, community groups and the NHS.

Praise

Healthwatch received praise from city leaders, Healthwatch England, the press and the public for our work, guidance, and information sharing.

Press and info releases

We issued four statements to the media; an update for Councillors and a compilation of positive comments and feedback received by Healthwatch about local services.

Social media Facebook

We made 114 posts achieving a reach of over 10,000 with 1,000 engagements. Twitter: we posted 96 Tweets that were shared or liked 81 times.

Young Healthwatch worked with Public Health colleagues and shared information and advice on COVID19 and relationships with young people.

Healthwatch established a project for our volunteers and staff to phone vulnerable people after discharge from hospital and provide sign-posting.