Blogs

The NHS England National Clinical Director for Dementia, Professor Alistair Burns, tells how a growing network of health and care staff are supporting elderly people to stay independent, keep well and get home quickly after a spell in hospital.

Jules Horton explains why no source of patient feedback should be overlooked – instead they should be cherished as untapped goldmines that could transform the way the NHS works for the better.

Tips on how voluntary sector organisations can work with Healthwatch:

• Have a local campaign you’d like to work with them on? Approach the regional managers to see if they can help get the word out.
   
• Offering a service? Contact your local Healthwatch so they know to signpost to you.
   
• Delve into all that data they collect: Healthwatch hears from over 400,000 people a year which means there is always more data than they can publish. But they are happy work with charities to provide access to their evidence and help build a shared understanding of specific issues. You can email research@healthwatch.co.uk with requests.

With a new question in the General Practice Patient Survey on involvement in decisions, Don Redding compares how often shared decision making happens in general practice with other care environments.