Getting involved in shaping services

Healthwatch Newham

BSL Support

Healthwatch is the consumer champion for both health and social care and exists in two distinct forms:

  • Healthwatch Newham at a local level
  • Healthwatch England at a national level.

The aim is to give Newham residents, and those people who work in the borough, a stronger voice. Allowing them to influence and challenge how Newham's health and social care services are commissioned and provided.

Healthwatch Newham represents the views of it's:

  • Health and social care service users
  • Carers
  • Public representatives on the Health & Wellbeing board and Newham Clinical Commissioning (CCG) board.

The organisation will report any concerns regarding the quality of health and social care services to Healthwatch England, who can recommend that the Care Quality Commission take action.

Healthwatch Newham aims to be approachable, practical and dynamic when acting on behalf of local people.

Services include:

  • Helping to shape and improve health and social care services
  • Providing information, about the options available should there be issues with the quality of care services
  • Engaging with local people
  • Being an open organisation to make it easier for people to communicate and hold them accountable
  • Representing all communities and stakeholders in Newham
  • Identifying both good and bad aspects of a service and acting upon the knowledge
  • Using locals as volunteers to support the organisation's aims
  • Using evidence from locals to produce a true evaluation of services.