NewsletterMarch 2015

Four new directors join Healthwatch Lancashire

More than a thousand residents take part in 111 campaign

Lancashire’s Voice

Healthwatch Lancashire has published a report based on the findings of research with residents of Lancashire which shows that 20% of people are not aware of the NHS 111 service.

Throughout January, Healthwatch Lancashire conducted a study with 1,163 members of the public to find out how aware residents in Lancashire are of the NHS 111 service and whether they found it helpful.

The results have been provided to North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust and the commissioners of the service.

Read the full report on the Healthwatch Lancashire website.

Healthwatch Lancashire is pleased to announce the appointment of four new Non-Executive Directors.

Carol Gradwell, Bernadette Hartley, Barry McEwan and Alex Roche will add further expertise to an already

dedicated Board of Directors.

The Healthwatch Lancashire Board is deeply committed to improving services in the county and ensuring that people’s voices are not only heard, but influence change. Welcome to

Healthwatch LancashireWelcome to the first edition of our bimonthly newsletter which highlights some of our work to represent the public in Lancashire.

I was really excited in November to join an organisation which works on behalf of the public on health and social care.

I’ve spent my first four months travelling the length and breadth of Lancashire meeting with partner organisations to find out how we can best serve the residents of Lancashire.

I hope you enjoy our first newsletter. You can find more information on our website - www.healthwatchlancashire.co.uk.

Gill BrownChief Executive

Message from the Chair

I wish to warmly welcome Gill Brown, our new Chief Executive, and our four new Board Members to Healthwatch Lancashire.

They join an existing Board of seven directors who have worked very hard to establish Healthwatch Lancashire over the past two years.

Under Gill’s leadership, the organisation is going from strength to strength. We have developed some exciting plans for the year ahead and will be reporting these to you in future editions of this newsletter.

Gail Stanley MBE JP DLChairman of the Board of Directors

Lancashire’s Voice NewsletterMarch 2015

www.healthwatchlancashire.co.uk 0300 3038811

Healthwatch Lancashire took the opportunity to take part in activities at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust during January as part of the ‘Perfect Week’ exercise.

The Perfect Week is about ensuring that all the processes required to support the flow of patients through the hospital run ‘perfectly’.

Gill Brown, Chief Executive, visited the House of Commons during January to show support for the North West Ambulance Service’s “Cardiac Smart” campaign.

The event was organised to gain support from Parliament on the subject of improving cardiac arrest survival rates outside of hospital within the UK.

In response to the campaign, Healthwatch Lancashire is looking to provide training to all staff members and volunteers in emergency resuscitation.

Pictured above: Gill Brown (centre) with staff from North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust

Healthwatch take part in Mock CQC inspections

Healthwatch Lancashire’s exciting start to 2015 included relocating our office.

The Healthwatch Lancashire offices are now based in Leyland House, Lancashire Business Park, Leyland.

Healthwatch Lancashire has been working in partnership with University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust by participating in mock Care Quality Commission inspections in December, January and February.

Healthwatch Lancashire staff, including Chief Executive Gill Brown, have been taking part in mock inspections at Royal Lancaster Infirmary and at Furness General Hospital along with governors, non-executive directors, senior managers and directors to ensure services are up to scratch.

Pictured above: Sheralee Turner-Birchall with Sue Smith, Executive Chief Nurse from University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust.

‘Perfect Week’ at Royal Blackburn Hospital

Chief Executive supports ‘Cardiac Smart’

Contact the team:Helpline: 0300 303 8811info@healthwatchlancashire.co.uk

By Post: Healthwatch LancashireLeyland HouseLancashire Business ParkLeylandPR26 6TY

Neil Greaves, Digital Communications Manager01524 239107 neil.greaves@healthwatchlancashire.co.uk

Sheralee Tuner-Birchall Volunteer Co-ordinator01524 239108 sheralee.turner-birchall@healthwatchlancashire.co.uk

Gill Brown, Chief Executive01524 230659gill.brown@healthwatchlancashire.co.uk

We have moved...

Meet the team at Preston Health MelaThe Healthwatch Lancashire team will be available to listen to your views at the forthcoming Health Mela at the University of Central Lancashire on 18th April.

The event, which promotes health and wellbeing, will take place between 11am and 4pm in the Foster Building.

Lancashire’s Voice NewsletterMarch 2015

www.healthwatchlancashire.co.uk 0300 3038811

At the beginning of February Healthwatch Lancashire launched a new website giving users the ability to find local services and easily provide their feedback and experiences.

The new Healthwatch Lancashire website can capture patient experiences and analyse these to identify trends, concerns and best practice within health and social care services across the county.

The website will also provide information to help residents to find health or social care services and signpost them to support, charity and partner organisations in Lancashire.

Patient journeys at Royal Lancaster InfirmaryHealthwatch Lancashire followed a group of patients and listened to their experiences at Royal Lancaster Infirmary during February.

Sheralee Turner-Birchall, Volunteer Co-ordinator, spent a week on Ward 39 at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary (pictured below) listening to patients to gain their views on all aspects of their care.

Feedback received by Healthwatch Lancashire has been shared with the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust to identify where services can be improved and to highlight areas which patients felt were performing well.

New staff join Healthwatch LancashireFollowing the appointment of Gill Brown as Chief Executive and Neil Greaves as Digital Communications Manager in November, three new members of the Healthwatch Lancashire team took to their roles in January.

Liz Thatcher has been appointed in the Executive Assistant role and Christina Morley started as a Communications Officer.

After initially becoming a Healthwatch Lancashire volunteer, Natalie Cotterell has now joined the team as the Volunteer Administrator.

Love to Give Blood

One in four people in Lancashire will require blood at some point in their life, yet only 4% of us give blood.

More than 700 people across Lancashire took part in our ‘Love To Give Blood’ research campaign in February to find the reasons why a high percentage of residents choose not to give blood. Read the full report on the Healthwatch Lancashire website.

Share your experiences on our new website

Engaging project underway

The number of Lancashire residents who are receiving information from Healthwatch Lancashire is growing fast as a result of an engagement campaign.

By the end of March 2015, more than 5,000 residents of Lancashire will have signed up to receive news, updates and have their say on health and social care in Lancashire.

If you would like to receive information from Healthwatch Lancashire visit healthwatchlancashire.co.uk/register

Pictured above: Natalie Cotterell, Volunteer Administrator, engages with students at the University of Central Lancashire

Make a difference... become a Healthwatch Lancashire volunteerHealthwatch Lancashire currently has over 25 active volunteers and is looking for more dedicated individuals who are willing to give their time to make a difference in Lancashire.

There are many volunteering activities to choose from.

Judith’s story... Judith Daniels, from Chorley, has been a volunteer for Healthwatch Lancashire since August 2014.

Judith, who is registered blind, is now retired but previously worked for Action for Blind People and the Royal Preston Hospital. Judith said she decided to become a volunteer so she could give her input into how health and social care services in Lancashire are run.

She said: “The element of volunteering that interests me most is being a Mystery Shopper. It’s a great way of looking at how patients are treated. If things change for the better because of what you learn, then that means other people will benefit. “

“Volunteering is my opportunity to be the voice for others and hopefully make services better for everyone.”

Healthwatch Lancashire is the public voice on health and social care in Lancashire with the role to listen and the power to significantly influence change within the health and social care system.

If you have a story or experience to share please contact Healthwatch Lancashire:

Tel 0300 3038811www.healthwatchlancashire.co.ukinfo@healthwatchlancashire.co.ukTwitter: @HW_LancashireFacebook: facebook.com/lancshealthwatch

Volunteers and staff complete PLACE trainingPLACE (Patient-led Assessments of the Care Environment) is an annual snapshot which gives hospitals a clear picture of how their environment is seen by patients, and how they can improve it.

Healthwatch Lancashire staff and volunteers successfully completed PLACE training delivered by Graham Jacob, from Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC), and Andrea Brown, from Lancashire Care Foundation Trust.

Pictured above: (from left to right) Healthwatch Lancashire staff Sheralee Turner-Birchall, Amanda Higgins and Christina Morley completed PLACE training along with volunteers and directors in February.

Pictured above: volunteers, staff and Healthwatch Director David Ashley successfully completed Equality and Diversity training.

For more information about volunteering and how to apply email volunteering@healthwatchlancashire.co.uk or call 0300 303 8811.