Priority setting - Keeping it real in the city

How do Healthwatch Brighton and Hove choose its Work Programme?
white background, block coloured figures standing in a row

We are often asked how we decide on our programme of work. Given that the remit of Healthwatch has the potential to span the whole of health and social care, we try to cover a broad range of areas.

We review:

  • GP surgeries - General Practice & Primary Care
  • Royal Sussex County Hospital (RSCH) Accident and Emergency Department, Outpatients, Complaints and Environment audits
  • Patient Transport Services

How do we balance patient and user experiences of health and social care services?  

Healthwatch sets out broad priorities for a three year period with an annual report, annual stakeholder survey and a detailed review every 18 months.

Topical and relevant

Healthwatch has many ways of ensuring that we keep abreast of issues affecting patients and people who use services.

  • We attend meetings with decision makers, the Health and Wellbeing Board and the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee -these meetings set the policies for health and social care and scrutinise services.
  • Healthwatch has privileged access to decision makers because we are established by the government to be the independent voice for patients and the public.
  • Healthwatch has statutory powers to visit anywhere that public money is being spent on health and social care, and review services from the perspective of the patients.

Helping the NHS and the City Council make good decisions and keep their promises

  • Healthwatch is independent but not neutral; the way people experience services should influence and drive the way those services are planned and delivered.
  • We have a specific responsibility to make sure the NHS fulfill their equality and diversity responsibilities. We want to ensure that when services change, health inequalities are tackled.
  • Healthwatch has a close working relationship with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) the official regulators. Recently we have started to join CQC on their inspections to provide local insight and independent evidence.
  • Healthwatch England links us with 150 other local Healthwatch organisations, we run many projects Sussex-wide, and we have a direct route to escalate local issues to the Department of Health and Secretary of State for Health.

Keeping it real

  • Young Healthwatch keeps us more in touch with health and care issues affecting young people – help in a crisis, cancer, and mental health issues
  • Patient and user experiences –

Brighton Pulse

Healthwatch Information Line

Healthwatch Website

Healthwatch Social media

Health Complaints Advocacy