Celebrating ten years of people speaking up to make care better
In 2013, Healthwatch Cambridgeshire and Peterborough was launched with one simple aim: to make sure NHS leaders and other decision-makers hear the care experiences of people in the region and use your feedback to improve support. As your local health and care champion, we also help people to find reliable and trustworthy information and advice.
Over the last decade, thousands of you have shared their stories with us, good and bad, telling us what's working and what isn't regarding health and social care. With the help of local people, Healthwatch Cambridgeshire and Peterborough has been able to help improve health and social care services locally.
Thanks for being our Healthwatch Heroes
To mark this important milestone, Healthwatch Cambridgeshire and Peterborough would like to thank members of the public who have spoken up about their care, and the health and social care professionals who have acted on this feedback.
With your voice as our guide, we have:
- Provided thousands of people with helpful information and advice.
- Campaigned for everyone to be given healthcare information in a way they understand.
- Trained 416 professionals from NHS, local authority and voluntary sectors in Gypsy, Roma, Traveller cultural awareness.
- Reviewed and reported on GP websites to help NHS provide support to local practices.
- Campaigned to make sure that people are involved in decisions about their end-of-life care and supported the setting up of a palliative care hub.
- Established local Health and Care Forums and taken over the running of Partnership Boards to ensure that the voices of local people are heard by decision-makers.
- Supported the formation of an autism service to help fill identified gaps in existing services.
- Helped improve information and communications provided to patients and their families who need continuing healthcare.
- Supported local people to get involved in health and care research, particularly those from communities who can find it more challenging to access services.
- Shared the concerns of local people about lack NHS dentistry services and difficulty obtaining GP appointments with decision-makers.
These are just some of the ways in which, together, we have been able to make a difference. We couldn’t have done it without your support and feedback, so thank you and keep talking to us!
