Saturday 23 February 2013

Healthwatch - enagaging with the public

Our band new Healthwatch Buckinghamshire recently advertised its first public meeting.

Here is part of the advert:

"Do you use any of the health and social care services in Bucks? Or do your friends or family use them?

Do you want to see them improved in some way? If so then this event is for you.

Healthwatch Bucks is the new consumer champion for our county. It will give users and communities a stronger voice to influence and challenge how health and social care services are provided in Bucks.

Come along to find out about Healthwatch, the concept, context, vision and structure. Find out about the many different ways that you could get involved. Together we can improve things – see where you fit in and how your contribution could make a difference.”   

It seems to me that the new organisation has not learnt the lessons from previous efforts to engage with the public on health care.  Public meetings do not work unless there is a specific topic of interest.  

If they want to engage with the public in a meaningful and effective way then they should hold meetings with clear objectives and achievable outcomes.  They need to think inventively and smarter.  They need to do things differently.

If they want to publicise the "concept, context, vision and structure' they could do that more effectively by circulating information by email, post or even using social media!

How about this as a topic for a meeting: What are your concerns about the high Mortality Rates at Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust? What are your experiences of being a patient at the hospitals?

That might create some interest and they could then show us how Healthwatch Buckinghamshire could influence the care provided locally and how we could provide input into the investigation.

So this is a plea to Healthwatch Buckinghamshire to do things differently. Be innovative. Be bold.

No comments:

Post a Comment