Issue - meetings

Healthwatch Herefordshire

 

 

Meeting: 24/11/2025 - Health, Care and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee (Item 16)

16 Healthwatch Herefordshire pdf icon PDF 397 KB

To provide the committee with an overview of Healthwatch Herefordshire and its work, Government proposals to abolish Healthwatch England and Local Healthwatch, and principles for future delivery of Healthwatch’s functions.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The committee received an overview from Christine Price, Chief Officer of Healthwatch Herefordshire, covering the organisation’s statutory role, current areas of work, and the national proposals arising from the Dash review.

 

The principal points of the discussion are summarised below:

 

  1. The report included in the agenda papers provides background information on Healthwatch since its establishment in 2013, along with an overview of its statutory duties.

 

  1. There are Government proposals to abolish Healthwatch England and local Healthwatch bodies, replacing them with a national ‘patient experience’ function and locally assigned duties for ICBs and local authorities.

 

  1. A forthcoming white paper is expected to provide further detail in the new year. It would take approximately a year for this to progress into legislation, during which time Herefordshire Council will remain responsible for commissioning Healthwatch in its current form. A transition period is also anticipated ahead of any potential changes set out in an eventual Act of Parliament.

 

  1. There is uncertainty over a number of areas, including funding arrangements, staffing implications, and clarity on the scope of future functions until there is more detail from the Government.

 

  1. Healthwatch England’s development of five principles for future patient voice models, with concerns raised about potential loss of independence, in particular.

 

  1. Key Local Healthwatch activities include:

 

  1. Targeted engagement with individuals with serious mental illness.

 

  1. A&E demand project involving Emergency Department (ED) attenders to understand drivers of attendance.

 

  1. Work with neurodiverse residents to audit sensory experiences in public spaces and receive suggestions for improvement.

 

  1. Ongoing development of Patient Participation Group (PPG) networks and a countywide PPG toolkit.

 

  1. Operation of Lee’s Place as a support hub, which also provides valuable insights into barriers experienced by vulnerable groups.

 

  1. The council continues to monitor developments closely, despite the uncertainty surrounding future arrangements. As a general principle, the council remains committed to supporting whatever structure is needed to ensure residents’ voices are heard.

 

  1. Alongside the role of Healthwatch, many parts of the health and care system involve people and groups who engage with service users and patients in different ways. Currently, the collective insight from these sources is not being fully utilised, which presents an opportunity for the future model to bring this feedback together.

 

  1. In relation to the development of Patient Participation Groups (PPGs) across the county, particular reference was made to Hereford Medical Group (HMG), where the PPG is now operating as an autonomous body rather than one managed by the practice. This was highlighted as a positive example demonstrating how independent patient voice can support constructive collaboration with a General Practice (GP). Committee members noted that this could provide a template for other practices seeking to enhance the effectiveness of their PPGs.

 

  1. In response to a question about using Enter and View powers to visit care homes, it was noted that securing a care home’s participation can be bureaucratic and that the process is still often perceived as inspectorial, despite the intention being to engage with residents and families. It was further commented that the visits are highly  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16