Healthwatch England and local Healthwatch services including Healthwatch Essex were established under the Health and Social Care Act 2012.  They were created to understand the needs, experiences and concerns of people who use health and social care services and to speak out on their behalf. As an independent statutory body, they have the power to make sure NHS leaders and other decision makers listen to people’s feedback and improve standards of care.

Their main statutory functions are to:

• Obtain the views of people about their needs and experience of local health and social care services and to make these views known to those involved in the commissioning.
• Make reports and recommendations about how those services could or should be improved.
• Promote and support the involvement of people in the monitoring, commissioning and provision of local health and social care services.
• Provide information and advice to the public about accessing health and social care services and the options available to them.
• Make the views and experiences of people known to Healthwatch England, helping them to carry out their role as national champion.
• Make recommendations to Healthwatch England to advise the CQC to carry out special reviews or investigations into areas of concern.

Current Status

ECC have entered into a three year grant agreement with Healthwatch Essex to deliver their core functions.  This agreement runs form April 2024 – Mar 2027.  Healthwatch also bid for additional contracts to deliver coproduction, research and lived experience in line with their core functions.

Market Data & Insight

Healthwatch Essex Information & Guidance Service provides support to the people of Essex with their health, care and wellbeing needs. They provide a high-quality listening service to both professionals and the public, supporting them to find pathways forward with their health, care and wellbeing needs https://healthwatchessex.org.uk/speak-to-our-team/
The most common enquiries and concerns expressed across the county between 1st April and 30th June 2024 can be seen below.

*based on call data collated on 10th July 2024

Healthwatch Essex undertake Research and capture people’s lived experience. To see the most recent reports from this work see https://healthwatchessex.org.uk/library/