Healthwatch Kingston Annual Report 2020/21
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The period covered by this report has been dominated by the coronavirus pandemic, and at Healthwatch Kingston upon Thames (HW Kingston) we continue to be grateful for the ingenuity and fortitude shown by our colleagues in health and social care and the voluntary sector, delivering services in such difficult times, including the roll-out of the vaccination programme. HW Kingston has played a part in gathering views on the vaccine, and ensuring that accurate information reaches our population.
Reaching out
We heard from 4,239 people who engaged with us through our projects and outreach in 2020-21. An 100% increase over our previous year. People shared 18,489 experiences, views and concerns about health and social care. We provided advice and information to 25,406 people this year.
Responding to the pandemic
As part of the above, we specifically engaged and supported 2,656 people about Covid-19 in 2020-21, who shared 4,342 experiences, views and concerns with us. 3,754 of these were in response to our surveys, 348 by telephone or email, and 240 through questions at our Open Meetings.
Making a difference to health and social care
We published 7 reports about the improvements people would like to see to health and social care services. From this, we made 25 recommendations for improvement. We also published 9 surveys and 6 newsletters (we doubled our subscribers in 2020-21).
Social media
12,822 people visited our website and 379 social media posts reached 101,760 people.
I am extremely grateful for the energy and compassion our Trustees and our other volunteers have provided us as a staff team to enable HW Kingston to deliver our Healthwatch goals to: support you to have your say; provide a high quality service; and, ensure your views help improve health and care. Whereas we will always passionately reiterate our Healthwatch independence, collaboration and partnership working are an essential part of our work. Without our residents sharing experiences, views and concerns with us and without the openness to ‘critical friend’ challenge and the candour of our local commissioners and providers, we would achieve less. Fortunately, I have been amazed by how much we have achieved together. Thank you. I very much look forward to continue working with everyone to deliver our plans for 2021-22.
