Citizens urged to have their say on health and social care services

All Nottingham city residents in the UK are invited to take part in building their new champion: Healthwatch Nottingham

 

 

A partnership of local voluntary organisations, HELP Nottingham, is inviting the citizens of Nottingham - adults and children -to get involved in creating their new independent champion for health and social care, Healthwatch Nottingham.  

Nottingham’s communities have an important role in deciding how Healthwatch will represent them and how the proposed model, designed from months of research into patient and service user views, could work.

Focus group consultations will be held across the city throughout October and residents are invited to come and share their views.

The HELP team has been gathering the views of hundreds of Nottingham citizens to arrive at the proposed Healthwatch model, which it is now consulting on.

Nottingham Healthwatch will be starting in April 2013. It will have a seat on the new health and wellbeing board, ensuring that the views and experiences of patients, carers and other service users are taken into account and have a role in promoting public health, health improvements and in tackling health inequalities.

Nottingham Healthwatch will enable people to share their views and concerns about local health and social care services and understand that their contribution will help build a picture of where services are doing well and where they can be improved.

It will be able to alert Healthwatch England to concerns about specific care providers.

Chief Executive of HLG, the lead partner in HELP, Claire Grainger, said: “It is a great opportunity for the citizens of Nottingham to have a say in shaping their Healthwatch and to get involved with their own health and social care services”.

HELP Nottingham will be holding the following focus group consultations:

Mary Potter Centre- Friday, October 19 at 10-11am and 12-1pm

Nottingham Central Library-  Wednesday, October 17, 2012 at 2-3pm and 4-5pm.

Dunkirk and Old Lenton Community Centre- Thursday, October 11, 2012 at 3-4pm

Sneinton Hermitage Community Centre- Friday, October 12, 2012 at 11-12pm

Sherwood Community Centre- Friday, October 12 at 3:30- 4:30 and 5-6pm

Clifton Cornerstone Community Centre- Thursday, October 11, 2012 at 10-11am

Contact the HELP team on 01158599511 or by email on info@helpnottingham.com   to book a place at one of the focus groups.