We’re delighted to share with you our latest Annual Report, which highlights all that we have done throughout 2018/19 to ensure that your voice and experience shapes health and social care in Essex.
Below you’ll find a short film with highlights from the report as well as a written summary of some of our activities. To keep abreast of what we do on a more regular basis, please subscribe to our newsletter using the link in the menu bar on the left.
Highlights of 2018/19
- We invited school children across Essex to share their experiences of health and social care by designing bunting showing their ‘healthcare hero’ and produced a film summarising some of their entries
- We were proud to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the NHS with an event at Chelmsford Cathedral which placed patient stories at its heart, including a heart-warming film of Joshua meeting his ‘healthcare hero’, Dr Babu
- We heard from more than 700 young people about their attitudes to health and social care in our latest, and final, YEAH report (YEAH!3)
- We took a patient bed out on a roadshow across Essex, to promote our Information and Signposting Service and hear from people who didn’t know of the existence of Healthwatch Essex.
- We published a powerful report into end of life care following four months observing consultations in Basildon and Thurrock University Hospital’s palliative medicine and renal departments.
- We were delighted to be awarded a ‘Sharing and Celebrating Patient and Public Involvement in Healthcare’ community grant from NHS England which allowed us to produce a film showcasing the success of our Mental Health Ambassador programme.
- Our network of Ambassadors and Patient Partners worked successfully working commissioners and NHS staff, sharing their stories to bring about positive change.
- We launched a new, more accessible website which will shortly be followed up an updated Feedback Centre.
- We continued to support the engagement and outreach activities of the three Sustainability and Transformation Partnerships (STPs) across the region
- Our Information Service launched a text and Whatsapp service with 1753 people getting in touch for help and signposting
Thank you to everyone who has been a part of an incredible year!