The aim of Healthwatch is to give individuals and communities a stronger voice to influence and challenge how health and social care services are provided within their locality to meet need more effectively and to reduce health and social care inequalities.
Healthwatch Wolverhampton is part of a network of over 150 local Healthwatch across the country. They work together through Healthwatch England to make sure local feedback creates positive change in health and care nationally as well as locally.
What do we provide?
There is a legal requirement for all local Healthwatch’s to be provided by an organisation which is a social enterprise, and which acts for the benefit of the community in England. Local Healthwatch organisations are funded by and are accountable to local authorities. City of Wolverhampton Council commission community interest company (CIC) Evolving Communities to deliver the Healthwatch Wolverhampton Service.
Healthwatch Wolverhampton is your independent health and social care champion which fulfils the statutory functions of a local Healthwatch. These functions can be broken down to:
- Engaging with local people about health and care services and promoting their involvement in all areas.
- Providing an information and signposting service for local people so that they can make choices about health and social care services or pointing them towards someone who can help if they need support to raise a concern or make a complaint about a service.
- Monitoring the quality of health and care services.
- Using the voice of local people to influence people who plan, pay for, and deliver health and care services (commissioners and providers).
The role of the service is to make sure that the health and care system across Wolverhampton reflects what local people expect and need. Healthwatch Wolverhampton is independent from the NHS, Local Authority and other local health and social care services so people can talk freely about whatever they like.
Accessing the service
A referral is not required. The service can be accessed by citizens of all ages.
Operating Times
The service operates 52 weeks per year (excluding public holidays), with a minimum core access of Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm.
Contact Information
- Telephone: 0800 246 5018
- Website
- Postal Address: Regent House, Second Floor, Bath Avenue, Wolverhampton, West Midlands, WV1 4EG