I have
always thought that the main role of local Healthwatch was to collect the experiences
of patient using the health and social care services.
But one
of their board members is quoted in the minutes of their November board meeting
as saying
“Healthwatch Bucks could make a business case for
the integrated collection, analysis & reporting of patient feedback across
health and social service provision in Buckinghamshire”.
So why does this board member think Healthwatch Bucks
needs to make a business case to do what it is contracted to do anyway? By using the words ‘business case’ he is
suggesting, in my opinion, that they should seek funding to do this job.
They should be doing it now as part of their primary
function, not asking for more funds!
I
wonder if he has seen what Healthwatch Buckinghamshire says on its own website.
This
statement is included as part of their ‘What we do’ section on the Healthwatch
Buckinghamshire website
“Collect data and stories about the good and the bad,
so we can use evidence based criteria to influence commissioning and policy.”
They
expand on this theme in their ‘What will Healthwatch do’ section of the
website:
“….seek
the views of people about their needs for, and their experiences of, local care
services.”
“Examine
the quality of local health and social care services.”
“Make
the views of local people known, and reports and recommendations about how
local care services could or ought to be improved, to people responsible for
planning, providing, managing or scrutinising local care services.”
Even the CCG has
something to say on the issue:
In their draft
paper on the Review and Development of our (AVCCG) Commissioning Intentions
they say:
“(the CCG will) Work closely with Healthwatch to expand the
feedback we receive on patient experience from direct observation and feedback
from patients, clinicians and the public including those from hard to reach
communities. “.
It is high time Healthwatch Buckinghamshire stopped
talking and got on with its primary function.
Go out and collect the experiences of patients and
carers of health and social care service provision.
