Healthwatch East Sussex is the consumer group organisation recently set up in the county. It aims to provide information, refer people to relevant services and help people make choices about their care. It is not part of the NHS and is fully independent, an autonomous body set up to work with the public to improve health and social care services. At the present time, it is carrying out a survey of local provision, based on the experiences of individual people. Local health and social care services have to listen to Healthwatch, both the local organisation and to Healthwatch England, which operates at the national level.
Feedback from the survey questionnaire, “Speak Out/Your Voice Counts” will be available to read on the website. Updates on the work of the organisation are also available on request. Telephone 0333 101 4007 for more details.
The local Patient Participation Groups (PPGs) at Rye, Ferry Road and Northiam medical practices are part of the network being supported by Healthwatch. There is a dedicated development worker providing help to enable PPGs to link into the wider changes in the local health and care systems, in particular the programme “East Sussex Better Together”.
This, in turn, is designed to help the four health and social care commissioning organisations to work together, therefore improving quality and affordability. Its overall aim is “to ensure that there will be a fully integrated health and social care economy in East Sussex”. In other words, people will be able to access joined up care easily, at home, so they live as independently as they can. To find out more, go to one of the websites If anyone is interested in volunteering and is passionate about better integration of health and social care services, nationally and locally, get in touch at enquiries@healthwatcheastsussex.co.uk
If you are interested in your local GP practice and want to make a contribution to its policy making, the Rye Medical Practice PPG is losing five committee members at the next AGM in October this year and urgently needs new people. Contact: rmcppg@btopenworld.com for more information
Photo: Gillian Roder