Six years of championing people’s views of health and care in Somerset
Healthwatch Somerset Manager Emily Taylor said, “We’re here to make sure that those running services, and the government, put people at the heart of care. We find out what people want and champion for services that meet the local community’s needs.
“These views are then shared with the decision-making organisations in the county, so together we can make a real difference.”
Healthwatch Somerset is currently encouraging people to share their views on how an extra £20 billion per year from the Government should be spent on local NHS services as part of the NHS Long Term Plan.
You can participate in the What Would You Do? campaign via an online survey [closed 30 April 2019] and by speaking directly to Healthwatch.
Questions will focus on local services in the following areas:
- Cancer
- Mental health
- Dementia
- Heart and lung conditions
- Learning disabilities and autism
Sir Robert Francis, Chair of Healthwatch England said, “Services won’t get these changes right unless they engage people in a debate and find out what really matters most to people. This is where we help, supporting services to move beyond just seeking feedback, to a position where they truly put people’s views at the heart of the decisions they make.
“Our sole purpose is to help make care better for people. We have the power to make sure their voices are heard.”
