News on changes to the future of Healthwatch was a 'surprise' says Healthwatch Herefordshire
Under the government’s 10-year health plan the work of the health and social care champion will be brought together with ICB and provider engagement functions
Healthwatch Herefordshire says it was saddened to see it will no longer exist in its current form under the government’s 10-year health plan.
Under the government's proposals the work of local Healthwatch bodies relating to healthcare will be brought together with integrated care boards {ICB) and provider engagement functions.
Individual provider boards will be asked to ensure they have 'robust mechanisms' in place to collect and use patient feedback and make sure it is fed back regularly to individual clinicians and clinical teams.
Its expected this will be in place across the NHS by 2026, with local authorities also taking up local Healthwatch social care functions.
Healthwatch was established under the Health and Social Care Act 2012 to understand the needs, experiences and concerns of people who use health and social care services and to speak out on their behalf.
Chief medical officer for Healthwatch Herefordshire Christine Price says the health and social care champion will continue up until the date it is no longer needed.
"The news in the plan around Healthwatch was quite a surprise for many and a bit of a shock and we're all quite saddened to see that," she said.
"There's a lot of concern from us and other Healthwatch teams that the sort of level of connection and listening at community level won't be there anymore after the changes.
"Until then though we will carry on with business as usual, being the voice for our local residents and making sure they have an independent voice to feedback about NHS plans and local authority plans for social care."
Government plans to build a health service "fit for the future"
The 10-year health plan is part of the government’s mission to build a health service it says will be "fit for the future."
It aims to 'reinvent' the NHS through 3 'radical' shifts from hospital to community, analogue to digital and sickness to prevention.
Some of the changes will see by 2028, the NHS App become a full front door to the entire NHS, with patients being able to get instant advice for non-urgent care, and help finding the most appropriate service first time, through it.
Other proposals include introducing a neighbourhood health service which will bring care into local communities by establishing a neighbourhood health centre (NHC) in every community which would be open at least 12 hours a day and 6 days a week.
Christine says these changes are ones that are required but the focus will now be on how it will all be delivered.
She said: "One of the things about the plan that is exciting is bringing care into neighbourhoods and bringing a more holistic approach and integrating different parts of the health and care system working around patients in communities.
"It's more important than ever that listening to patients is at the heart of that future, so that those models of care are delivered and planned and created around what patients need and want.
"Whilst the plan is welcome in terms of those types of shifts for people to not drive people into urgent care and hospitals wherever possible, thinking about preventing illness, I'm left wondering how achievable that is in terms of the pace and scale the government are expecting."
The government also added the plan will open up fairer and more convenient access to healthcare.