Healthwatch Wolverhampton Annual Report 2024-25: Unlocking the power of people-driven care
In our latest annual report, Unlocking the power of people-driven care, we highlight some of the ways we used your feedback to help NHS and social care decision-makers prioritise the issues that matter most to local people to help make care better.
- Improving patient experience of mental health services: Based on feedback gathered via a survey and during a visit to Penn Hospital from patients, family, carers and mental health professionals, our report highlighted several recommendations report to improve people’s access to and experience of mental health services. Through continuous collaboration with public health teams, our recommendations are being considered. Read the report
- Better support for adults with autism: Following community engagement to understand the impact of barriers faced by people waiting for an autism diagnosis or living with autism, our report is helping to inform the ICB’s work looking at coordination of autism services and policies at Black Country level. Read the report
- Reaching out to those communities whose voices may go unheard: This continues to be achieved locally by partnering with organisations active in equality and diversity, and through initiatives reaching people struggling with socio-economic deprivation. We investigated access to social care for the South Asian community and also helped refugees feel more confident in accessing NHS care and to share their experiences.
- Making hospital care more accessible: The Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust responded to our Enter and View recommendations to improve the physical environment at one of their inpatient services.
- Improving the quality of care homes: We carried out Enter and View visits as part of their joint working with the City of Wolverhampton Council and the Care Quality Commission to support quality monitoring of residential care homes; our reports have informed the care home improvement plans.
Healthwatch Wolverhampton projects for 2025-26
In 2025-25, we will continue to engage with communities across the city, and make sure those in power hear the views and experiences of our diverse communities. Our three priority projects for the year are:
- Continue working to address access needs for those with sensory loss.
- Tackling health inequalities further by reaching areas of the community we don’t currently hear from.
- Ensuring a positive and joined up experience for those receiving adult social care by working with partners implementing integrated neighbourhood care.
Announcing the annual report, Mandy Poonia, Co-Chair of Healthwatch Wolverhampton’s Oversight Group, said: “We strive to listen to our local communities in making a difference to health and social care services. We base our work priorities on what local people are telling us about their experiences, so it is important that you share your feedback with us about accessing services in Wolverhampton.”
