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Healthwatch Rutland urges people to share their healthcare experiences




A Rutland watchdog has urged people to share their health experiences ‘in this time of uncertainty’.

Healthwatch Rutland, which provides a voice for residents in Rutland, has made the call in its recently published annual report.

Dr Janet Underwood speaking at a public meeting. LDRS image.
Dr Janet Underwood speaking at a public meeting. LDRS image.

Organisation chair Dr Janet Underwood said: “We face much change in terms of local government reorganisation, the reshaping of Integrated Care Boards and the merger of NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care. In this time of uncertainty it has never been more important for people to talk to us.”

The report which was published at the start of this month gives an overview of the work the community health champion has carried out during the past year.

A statutory service funded by a grant from Rutland County Council, Healthwatch Rutland has secured a number of successes this year and raised the profile of issues such as poor dentistry access.

It has the power to enter and view NHS health services and in the 2024/25 year carried out assessments of the children’s mental health unit Leicester, the emergency children’s department at Leicester Royal Infirmary and another at the same hospital’s opthamology department.

Feedback is then given to the NHS provider and recommendations suggested.

The report says: “Throughout the year we have continued to build recognition of the health inequalities experienced in our rural county where people tell us that accessing healthcare in the surrounding areas can be difficult and costly. Your needs and experiences have been shared with partners in our health and care system at all levels and have had a powerful impact on how our care is delivered here in Rutland. But, change can take time. Several years ago our community hospital was threatened with closure. Now, thanks to public feedback, we are looking forward to improvements to the building and a new, combined minor injuries and minor illness service to serve our urgent care needs.”

The organisation employs two part-time members of staff and has nine regular volunteers. Over the year more than 1,250 people shared their experiences of health and social care servcies with the watchdog, which has followed up concerns. The lack of availability of face-to-face talking therapies in the county led Healthwatch Rutland to challenge it, which resulted in the provider commiting to delivering more in person support.

The report says: “Following our visit to the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) - The Beacon Unit, key concerns around food quality, staffing consistency and underused spaces were highlighted. As a result, Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust acknowledged the report, agreed its accuracy and began implementing improvements. These include reviewing food provision, increasing staff recruitment and exploring better use of classrooms during holidays.”

The charity has listed three priorites for the year ahead which are to Investigate people’s experiences of hospital discharge, including: delays in discharge; the risks of discharge before patients are ready; problems with medications at discharge and communications across services in the discharge pathways; explore the experiences of unpaid carers and develop an outreach programme to engage with young people to examine how constant online connectivity affects their mental and emotional wellbeing.

People can contact Healthwatch by emailing info@healthwatchrutland.co.uk or calling 07399 584572.



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