Healthwatch Ealing April to September Engagement Report 2020

This report covers both Quarter 1 (April to June) and Quarter 2 (July to September) as Healthwatch Ealing, much like other organisations that work with the public in a face-to-face capacity, have had to learn and adapt our scope and methods in light of the Coronavirus pandemic.

All our face-to-face work has been suspended based on risk assessments, and we have had to move to online/remote working. As such, we have been using much of this time to re-assess and develop new methods of engagement and delivery with the public. This report will delve into the challenges and successes of the first 6 months of the pandemic on our work.

It should be noted that due to the nature of this engagement work, most people tend to express concerns more than they mention examples of good practice. Therefore, for a balanced view of patient views, this report should be read alongside Healthwatch Ealing’s Patient Experience reports. This engagement report is also a way to channel concerns into helping to find solutions, finding out what service users would like and where they think improvements need to be made.

Healthwatch Ealing has been to 20 engagement meetings and events over the last two quarters, just under our target of 13 engagement events per quarter due to the pandemic. The meetings during this period focused on how the local Voluntary and Community sector could work together to continue to deliver services for Ealing residents and also keep updated on changes that occurred in the delivery of, and access to, these services.

Healthwatch Ealing also took part in the Young Ealing Foundation’s Build Back Better report to help improve and work even more effectively with the local Community and Voluntary Sector (CVS). We are also participating in work with Communities Activities Project Ealing (CAPE) to identify how we can work with the local mental health sector and assist them in relaying user feedback to statutory services. 

The findings are discussed in more detail in the main body of the report, which is complete with recommendations, areas of good practice, and next steps.