Here you can our governance documents and information about how our advisory board keeps us the independent champions of health and social care change in Somerset. Governance Documents Please click on a document below to view/download the document. Complaints Policy Decision Making Policy Advisory Board Terms of Reference What does the Advisory Group do? Our Advisory Group works alongside the local team to play an important role in setting and maintaining the strategic direction of Healthwatch Somerset. It has a significant role to play, ensuring that Healthwatch Somerset adheres to its principles and purpose and operates in a moral and ethical way in the service of the local community. The role includes: Formulating strategy and workplans with the local Manager Ensuring accountability for quality delivery of the strategy and workplan Shaping a positive culture Providing accountability to local people The Advisory Group is formed of volunteers and lay people and is not responsible for the day to day running of Healthwatch Somerset. This is done by a small team of paid staff. Meetings Most of the Advisory Group’s meetings are held in public, with an opportunity to ask questions at the discretion of the chairman; these are not public meetings. There are certain decisions – who we represent and engage with, for example – which have to be taken in a meeting in public. The Advisory Group may hold some meetings in private, if there are confidential issues to discuss, or as briefings to develop our strategy. At other times, the Advisory Group may hold open meetings to capture the experiences of local people who use health or care service Click on a meeting below to open/download a pdf version of meeting agenda/minutes. Agenda for Board Meeting Date of meeting 27 October 2025 Agenda to be agreed Agenda for Board Meeting Date of meeting 28 July 2025 Meeting to discuss Healthwatch Somerset Complaints Process for Website, update on The People’s Vote, and Commissioners Report. Agenda for Board Meeting Date of meeting 23 April 2025 Meeting with an update on Finance; Q4 Commissioners Report, Review Updated Risk Register, Chair, Engagement, Volunteer, and Board Member Activity Reports, Speaker – Sarah Bird, Chief Executive, Timebanking UK Agenda for Board Meeting Date of meeting 12 February 2025 Meeting to discuss Holding to Account: How Well is Your System Working? A toolkit produced by Healthwatch Surrey, review the Healthwatch Somerset Quality Assurance Framework and Action Plan, and review and update the HWS Board Risk Assessment document. Agenda for Board Meeting Date of meeting 27 January 2025 Meeting to discuss Healthwatch Somerset Complaints Process for Website; Update on The People’s Vote; Commissioners Report. Agenda for Board Meeting Date of meeting 3 December 2024 Meeting - Professor David Croisdale-Appleby OBE, Chair of Healthwatch England - Questions and Answers; Workplan Results. Agenda for Board Meeting Date of meeting 9 September 2024 Meeting to discuss Engagement, Volunteer, and Board Member Activity Reports; a brief update on what staff are working on; Hospital at Home Speakers Tracey Evans and Louise Bird from Somerset NHS Foundation Trust. Agenda for Board Meeting Date of meeting 8 July 2024 Meeting to discuss a brief update on what staff are working on; Terms of Reference for Healthwatch Somerset Board, and Decision-Making Policy; Key Performance Indicators; Chair’s Report and Board Members’ Reports; Speaker - Michelle Hawkes, Public Health Specialist, Somerset Council. Agenda for Board Meeting Date of meeting 13 May 2024 Meeting - Welcome from The Advocacy People and the Role of the Advisory Board; Brief Update from Healthwatch Somerset; Key Performance Indicators; Chair to lead discussion. Agenda for Board Meeting Date of meeting 19 February 2024 Meeting to discuss Update of Current Annual Work Programme; Questions about Chair’s Report, Engagement, Volunteer, and Board Members updates; Update from Evolving Communities; An Update on Treatment Escalation Plans. Agenda for Board Meeting Date of meeting 22 January 2024 Meeting to discuss update on recommissioning of Healthwatch Somerset’s Contract; Workplan ideas/peoples’ vote; Update on current projects; and Charitable status – open discussion Reports Reports can be found on our News & Reports page. Our Advisory Group members Judith Goodchild Chair Sandra Wilson Vice Chair Bob Champion Debbie Rigby Tony Robinson Sue Thomas Gill Waldron

Your opinion can make a difference, take part in our surveys and polls to help us campaign for the right changes in health and social care for Somerset. Surveys & polls Live surveys & polls Here you can find all of our live surveys & polls. Sharing your thoughts and opinions on a range of health and social care topics helps us to take action and make the changes you want to see. Somerset Pharmacy: Access & Experiences Survey Share your feedback to help us understand people’s current experiences with community pharmacies. Expires on: 31 October 2025 Take part

We run, host and attend many events each month. Find out more about local events taking place in Somerset and Have Your Say. Events We run and attend multiple events throughout the year, check the calendar below to see what we've got coming up. June 2025 Today Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun 26 27 28 29 30 31 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 1 2 3 4 5 6

Sign the Local Healthwatch petition and write to your MP using our downloadable letter template. As part of changes to the NHS set out in the 10-Year Plan, and in response to the Penny Dash report the Government will end local Healthwatch services and bring them under control of the Local Authority and the Integrated Care Board. 131 local Healthwatch services across England have signed a powerful open letter to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, urging the government to reconsider proposals. "Since 1974 there has been continuous parliamentary support for independent public voice initiatives being able to hold services to account. Therefore, we urge you to reconsider this direction. Instead of dismantling independence, we should be strengthening it - ensuring every community has access to strong, well-resourced, and fearless local public voice initiatives that hold services to account and shape care that truly meets people’s needs." Taken from: Open letter on the future of Healthwatch | Healthwatch Haringey If you are concerned about the impact these changes will have on the effect of your local independant voice, advice, and support then use your voice. Let your colleagues, communities, family, and friends know about the changes and how it may effect them. Local Healthwatch petition  Local Healthwatch have put together a petition calling on the government to protect the independence of local voices in health and care and we ask for your support in signing it: Write to your MP You can send your MP your completed copy of our letter either by email or through the post. Download the the letter below: You can also copy and paste the text below into an email or alternative document format: [Your Name] [Your Address] [Your Postcode] [Your Email – optional] [Date] [MP’s Name] House of Commons London SW1A 0AA Dear [MP's Name], Re: Concern over proposed changes to local Healthwatch services I am writing as a constituent to share my concern about recent announcements that the Government plans to bring local Healthwatch services ‘in-house’ as part of changes to the NHS set out in the 10-Year Plan, and in response to the Penny Dash report. As you will know, local Healthwatch organisations were established to ensure that patients and the public have an independent voice in how health and social care services are planned and delivered. Healthwatch Somerset — like many across the country — plays a vital role in listening to local people, highlighting what is working and where improvements are needed, and ensuring that services reflect the needs of the communities they serve. Moving these services in-house risks undermining their independence and their ability to speak honestly and clearly on behalf of patients and service users. The current Healthwatch structure allows it to operate without conflict of interest — something that will be hard to maintain if accountability shifts to the very organisations it is meant to scrutinise. This change feels deeply worrying and hard to understand. Healthwatch has built trust with the public by being rooted in communities and able to speak truth to power. Taking that away risks silencing local voices and losing valuable insight that helps improve services. I hope you will be aware of these concerns and continue to follow this issue closely as it develops. I simply wanted to add my voice to what I understand is a growing number of people who feel that this is not the right direction for public involvement in health and care. Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. Yours sincerely, [Your Name] Check your local county constituency (CC) here: Parliamentary constituencies in Somerset - Wikipedia Bridgwater CC: Contact information for Sir Ashley Fox - MPs and Lords - UK Parliament Frome and East Somerset CC: Contact information for Anna Sabine - MPs and Lords - UK Parliament Glastonbury and Somerton CC: Contact information for Sarah Dyke - MPs and Lords - UK Parliament Taunton and Wellington CC: Contact information for Gideon Amos - MPs and Lords - UK Parliament Tiverton and Minehead CC: Contact information for Rachel Gilmour - MPs and Lords - UK Parliament Wells and Mendip Hills CC: Contact information for Tessa Munt - MPs and Lords - UK Parliament Yeovil CC: Contact information for Adam Dance - MPs and Lords - UK Parliament If you have any questions or comments relating to this page, please get in touch by email, phone, or letter using the details on our 'Contact us' page.

Share your feedback by 31 st  October 2025 to help us understand people’s current experiences with community pharmacies. Pharmacy Survey Poster We want to hear about your experiences of using your local pharmacy This research is in response to our engagement over the past year with residents of Somerset, who have voiced their concerns about the challenges of gaining prescriptions, caused by temporary and permanent closures of pharmacies across Somerset. Share your feedback It’s easy to share your anonymous feedback with us. You can do this by completing our survey by QR code - see the poster above. Completing the survey online: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/7S5SQX/ Telephone (Freephone): 0800 999 1286 to complete the survey over the telephone, or request a paper copy of the survey by telephone, or e mail: info@healthwatchsomerset.co.uk

In June 2025, we undertook an Enter and View visit to Elliscombe House to observe the quality of service and talk to people using the service, including residents, relatives and staff. Elliscombe House Care Home, Wincanton What we found There is a real sense that this is the residents’ home. Without exception, residents told us they feel happy and safe. The environment felt welcoming, calm and organised. Interactions between residents and staff were very personalised; staff know residents well. Residents spoke highly about the staff and the care they receive.   Our recommendations include: We liked the fact that residents were invited to take part in interviews for new staff. We would recommend this to other providers as good practice We raised with the manager a resident’s comment about making their own hot drink. Health and safety would need to be considered in this situation. Read our report If you need this report in a different format, please email  info@healthwatchsomerset.co.uk   or call 0800 999 1286.