Agenda item

Steve Shore, Chair of Healthwatch Doncaster, presented to the Board the Healthwatch Doncaster Annual Report 2016/17.  He reported that the last 12 months had seen a period of change and transformation for the organisation, with the creation of a new Community Interest Company (CIC), relocation to new premises and the appointment of a new Chief Operating Officer all taking place within the space of three months.  Steve was also pleased to confirm that Healthwatch Doncaster had recently been awarded the Healthwatch contract by Doncaster Council for the next 3 years, with options for two more years after that.

Steve then gave an overview of the wide ranging work carried out by Healthwatch Doncaster in relation to engaging with local people, communities and groups and providing feedback to health providers, and the various initiatives that the organisation was involved in.  He explained that, as Healthwatch Doncaster moved forward into 2017-18, it would maintain its focus on engagement with local people to support them to share their stories and experiences with a commitment to using the common themes to influence commissioners and providers of local health and care services to make improvements and developments.

General discussion ensued, during which Board Members commented on the content of the Annual Report and raised the following points:-

• Paul Tanney stated that he would welcome the opportunity to engage with Healthwatch Doncaster to look at ways of raising awareness amongst the Council’s tenants of the work of the organisation and providing a platform for greater engagement between tenants and Healthwatch Doncaster.

• In welcoming the report, Damian Allen suggested that some of the feedback collected by Healthwatch Doncaster could be used to help inform commissioning activities when considering providers of services. 

• On the issue of public awareness, Councillor Nigel Ball stated that he was unsure as to whether many people in his Ward would know about Healthwatch Doncaster and the work that it did.  He also queried the reasons behind the significant increases quoted on page 19 of the Report in the provision of signposting and information to people in relation to ICAS Advocacy and GP Surgery/Health Centres.  In reply, Steve Shore explained that this mostly due to Healthwatch Doncaster being more proactive, together with increased publicity and public awareness of the work of Healthwatch Doncaster and the services it provided.

• In commending the Report, Dr Rupert Suckling advised that Healthwatch Doncaster were welcome to use this Board and the partners around the table where it was felt that partners might be able to collectively help with specific issues, particularly those concerned with cross-cutting services.

• The Chair felt that the name ‘Healthwatch’ did not do enough justice to the wide ranging work of the organisation, including its activities in relation to Social Care.  She added that she felt it would be beneficial to strengthen links further with Healthwatch Doncaster as a means of gathering intelligence and learning more about people’s concerns and suggested that it would be useful to arrange a future seminar for all Members on the work of Healthwatch Doncaster.

It was then

                  RESOLVED:-

(1)        to note the contents of the Healthwatch Doncaster Annual Report 2016/17; and;

(2)        that a future Members’ Seminar be arranged on the work of Healthwatch Doncaster.