Agenda item - Healthwatch Brighton & Hove Annual Report

Report of the Executive Director, Governance, People & Resources (copy attached)

9.1       This item was presented by Geoffrey Bowden, Interim Chair of Healthwatch Brighton & Hove. Mr Bowden began by paying tribute to Frances McCabe, who had chaired Healthwatch for many years. Fran will be greatly missed, although she is now working as a Governor at University Hospitals Sussex, leading and patient and public engagement work. Members expressed thanks to Fran for all her work over the years, including her contributions to the HOSC.

9.2       Mr Bowden told members that Healthwatch operates with funding of £197K from the city council (this comes from a Government grant), employing five permanent staff members, and more than 70 volunteers. In the past year, Healthwatch has published more than 20 reports. Instances where Healthwatch has had a real impact include a report on the Coldean GP surgery: the practice felt it had to reduce sessions, but after a report from Healthwatch, commissioners found additional funding to maintain opening hours. Healthwatch Brighton & Hove has also been recognised nationally for its work with patients post-discharge (HOPS), although sadly Healthwatch has not been recommissioned to continue this excellent work.

9.3       Looking forward, Healthwatch remains concerned about the provision of primary care in the city and will monitor this closely. Healthwatch will also be working closely with the emerging Integrated Care System (ICS); Healthwatch is represented on ICS bodies, but will robustly maintain its independence from the system.

9.4       Various committee members congratulated Healthwatch on the work undertaken in the past year.

9.5       The Chair asked Mr Bowden how the HOSC could support the work of Healthwatch. Mr Bowden responded that Healthwatch was not seeking additional core funding, although inflation and the fact that funding has not been increased, have created pressures. However, Healthwatch is keen to explore opportunities to take on specific commissions (e.g. the HOPS post-discharge work), and would encourage the HOSC to lobby on behalf of Healthwatch for such work, particularly given Healthwatch’s excellent record of delivery.

9.6       Cllr Grimshaw asked whether Healthwatch might be interested in looking at the high number of deaths of homeless people in the city. Mr Bowden responded that Healthwatch is aware of and concerned by this issue, and would welcome the opportunity to undertake commissioned work in this area.

9.7       Cllr Peltzer-Dunn noted the work that Healthwatch had done around A&E services. Whilst A&E staff are excellent, aspects of A&E are unacceptable, including the physical state of the waiting area; and crucially the information given to people while they are awaiting treatment. It would be much better for the hospital to be honest with patients about likely waiting times than to display waiting time information that is wildly inaccurate. Mr Bowden responded, saying that Emergency Department staff have been working very hard for a very long time. Staffing is a massive problem, with the department  regularly understaffed or staffed in part by non-A&E workers. In consequence, morale is very low. Healthwatch recently engaged with the Care Quality Commission around their inspection of A&E services, flagging a number of concerns. There is no easy fix to the problems at A&E, although additional staffing, reducing inappropriate presentations, and increasing GP and community pharmacy capacity would all help. The Chair noted that the HOSC would definitely want to consider the CQC report on A&E services at the Royal Sussex County Hospital when it becomes available, and would work closely with Healthwatch on this.

9.8       Cllr Peltzer-Dunn proposed that the report recommendation should be amended to “note and acclaim the work of Healthwatch” to reflect the value that the HOSC attaches to the work that has been undertaken over the past year. This was unanimously agreed by members.

9.9       RESOLVED – that the report be noted and that the HOSC acclaims the work of Healthwatch Brighton & Hove over the past year.