PSAZZnews_issue12.pdf Aug. 2014 | Page 12

Making connections with.... The consumer champion for health and social care What is Healthwatch Wiltshire? Healthwatch Wiltshire is an independent organisation which has an important role in assessing the quality of health and social care services today and influencing the design of services for tomorrow. We want to make sure that the people who use these services have a say in how they are shaped and that their overall views and experiences are heard and taken seriously. We have just come to end of our first year in operation and have published our first annual report. The full report along with an easy read version can be found on our website: http://www.healthwatchwiltshire.co.uk/news/firstannual-report-healthwatch-wiltshire. What does Healthwatch Wiltshire do?    Represents the local community, giving a stronger voice to influence and challenge how health and social care services are provided in Wiltshire. Provides effective information about health and social care services so people can make choices. Promotes, monitors and inspects the quality of publicly funded health and social care services. For example, we have the legal powers to ‘enter and view’ Care homes, GP and dental practices, listening to the views and experiences of service users, patients and unpaid carers. Chris Graves, Chair of Healthwatch Wiltshire says: “Healthwatch Wiltshire is committed to making EVERY voice count, so we need you — children, young people and adults —to join us in the challenge of making a health and social care system that meets OUR needs. With a seat on the Health and Wellbeing Board, and the Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group, Healthwatch Wiltshire is at the heart of local health and social care provision.” Speak out! We are always interested to hear what you have to say about the health and social care services that you access. You can tell us about good experiences as well as bad. You can either email us, speak to us directly on the phone or visit our website: http://www.healthwatchwiltshire.co.uk/content/speak-out NHS Complaints