We are pleased to announce Healthwatch Wolverhampton has been recognised as highly commended in the Championing diversity and inclusion category at the 2019 Healthwatch Network Awards.

The work carried out by Healthwatch Wolverhampton in partnership with Zebra Access has been recognised as ‘Highly Commended’ in this year’s Healthwatch Network Awards for in the Championing diversity and inclusion category.

Healthwatch Wolverhampton has worked with Zebra Access, commissioners and providers to understand the issues this community have around various health areas.

Healthwatch brought together the Clinical Commissioning Group, local council, urgent care providers and NHS trust to create a plan of action and hold an event to share with the community the changes being made as a result of their feedback.

The changes included:

§  The development of a card people can show when visiting health and care services to highlight their need for additional help communicating, to help reduce anxiety over booking an appointment and asking for an interpreter.

§  Several facilitated health forums to enable Deaf people to become more aware of health issues, such as dementia, mental health, cancer and diabetes.

§  Discussions on how interpreter services are commissioned across Wolverhampton to help improve consistency and quality.

As a result, the Deaf community felt their views had not only been shared, but that they were being taken seriously and acted upon to help improve care for themselves and others.

Every year, the Healthwatch Network Awards celebrate the many positive stories of how the local Healthwatch network is helping to make care better for thousands of people. The awards are an opportunity to demonstrate where local Healthwatch worked within the local community to ensure health and social care services meet people's needs.

Healthwatch listens to what people like about the NHS and social care and what needs to be improved. Their views are shared with health and care professionals, so that services can understand what people and their families want from care.

These awards recognise how people’s feedback is vital to improving services. Thanks to the many hundreds of thousands of people who shared their experiences with Healthwatch last year. This has led to positive changes to the way local health and care services are run.

The local Healthwatch shortlisted for 2019 Healthwatch Network Awards were picked from almost 150 award entries.

The winner and the highly commended from each category were chosen by a panel of external judges and announced last night at the Healthwatch England Annual Conference on 1 October 2019. 

Tracy Cresswell, Healthwatch manager said, “The relationship we have built up with this community has been positive, we have and will continue to work with this community making sure their voices are heard.  To be shortlisted for the award was an acknowledgement of the work that we have carried out giving the Deaf and Hard of Hearing a voice in Health and Social Care.  To be rewarded with a Highly Commended was such an honor and we were up against some tough competition.  We have put Wolverhampton on the map”

Sean Noone, Zebra Access Community Development Manager said “We have been working closer than ever to make sure Deaf and Hard of Hearing people have full access to their treatment and keep them update with important information. Since our working partnership was established and introduction of the specialised forums, I can see there are improvements in the Deaf community and especially their confidence in when/how to seek the medical professional treatment… The Deaf community historically do not get involved with community consultations, so It has been amazing to see such development and passion from both the community and Healthwatch. “

Imelda Redmond, CBE, National Director of Healthwatch England said,

“The Healthwatch Network Awards is a fantastic event which showcases the very best of local Healthwatch and it’s an opportunity for everyone to come together and celebrate the impact our teams and volunteers have in improving health and care across the country.

The awards demonstrate the breadth of issues local Healthwatch work on every year. Their work makes sure people’s experiences are placed at the heart of the services they receive.

I’d like to acknowledge and thank all the network and congratulate those who took part, they have done their communities proud.”