Healthwatch’s vision for the future of health and care

HEALTHWATCH is the consumer champion for health and social care. There is a Healthwatch in every Local Authority area across England and we have an umbrella body, Healthwatch England.

Healthwatch’s goal has always been to understand the needs, ideas and experiences of every section of the community and ensure they are heard by the people making national decisions about health and social care.

In Wokingham borough, thanks to the hundreds of people we have spoken to who have shared their views, we’ve been able to make an impact on a range of issues over the past years. Healthwatch Wokingham Borough is driven by volunteers and staff who speak to people every day to find out what matters most, and work with partners to help make change happen.

We believe greater public involvement in health and social care is critical to overcoming the challenges we face in Wokingham borough.

Over the coming years, we want to make the biggest difference by: Supporting you to have your say, Providing a high quality service and Ensuring your views help improve health and care.

People want health and social care support that works for them. People have told us they want help in staying well, to get the best out of services and manage any conditions they face. This means a future where you are in control of your own health, care and wellbeing. It means you can get the information you need to look after yourself.

You can access efficient, high-quality care when you need it, on an equal basis with other. It means that services work with you to achieve the outcomes that matter most to you and your family. It means that Wokingham people help set health and social care priorities and services are accountable to them

At Healthwatch we believe people’s views come first, especially those who find it hardest to be heard. We champion what matters to you and work with others to find ideas that work. We are independent and committed to making the biggest difference to you. To enable this to happen, it’s important that everyone understands the approach we will take to our work and what they can expect from us.

People’s views are at the heart of everything we do. We work creatively to ensure people from every corner of the borough have their say about health and care.

We speak clearly so that people can understand and act on our evidence. We achieve positive change by working in partnership with others. We are independent and are prepared to challenge services.

Our borough, like many across the country, faces big challenges when it comes to making sure people have the support they need. This creates opportunities for services to better meet people’s expectations and for individuals to take greater control of their own health, care and wellbeing.

We want to take advantage of the opportunities available to not only make the greatest impact, but also to overcome these challenges.

Get in touch with us and share your view!

Let Healthwatch know your views. Get in touch:

Phone: 0118 418 1 418

Website: www.healthwatchwokingham.co.uk

App: Speak Up Wokingham (Free to download from Apple or Google Play)

E-Mail: enquiries@healthwatchwokingham.co.uk Facebook: @healthwatchwokingham

Twitter: @HWWokingham Nicola Strudley, works two days a week as the manager for Healthwatch Wokingham Borough. Opinions expressed in this blog are her own