We are here to listen but if you have a question that you think other people have already asked, have a look here first
You are entitled to expect good quality health and social care services, and when this does not happen, you have a right to complain. Download some handy tips below.
Downloads
No. Healthwatch Croydon is an independent organisation that is here to represent the views of the people that use health and social care services in the local area.
No, Healthwatch Croydon is commissioned by Croydon Council and will be accountable to them.
From 1st April 2013, Healthwatch is the new consumer champion for both health and social care. Healthwatch replaces Local Involvement Networks (LINk) but with additional functions and powers. The aim of Healthwatch is to give citizens and communities a stronger voice to influence and challenge how health and social care services are provided within their locality. It exists in two distinct forms: Local Healthwatch, at a local level and Healthwatch England, at a national level.
Key differences:
Healthwatch Croydon is an independent organisation, able to employ its own staff and involve volunteers, so it can become the influential and effective voice of the public
Healthwatch Croydon will be responsible for covering adults as well as children’s health and social care services
Make the views and experiences of people known to Healthwatch England helping it to carry out its role as national champion
Make recommendations to Healthwatch England to advise the Care Quality Commission to carry out special reviews or investigations into areas of concern
Promote and support the involvement of people in the monitoring, commissioning and provision of local care services
Obtain the views of people about their needs for and experience of local care services and make those views known to those involved in the commissioning, provision and scrutiny of care services; and make reports and make recommendations about how those services could or should be improved
Signpost people to information about local health and care services and how to access them
Have a seat on the local authority statutory Health and Wellbeing Board
Healthwatch England works at the national level. Healthwatch England takes local experiences of care and use them to influence national policy.
Local Healthwatch signposts people to local health and social care services. They also collect and analyse the experiences that people have of local care to help shape local services. They will then feed views and any recommendations to Healthwatch England to act on at a national level.
Together we form the Healthwatch network.
If you need to speak to someone about your personal experience or have feedback about a local health and social care service or would like to become a volunteer for Healthwatch.
Whilst we do not investigate individual cases, your feedback and experience will be collated by Healthwatch Croydon and passed onto the relevant providers and Healthwatch England to help identify trends for issues to be addressed.
Please find the latest set of FAQ about Croydon Clinical Commissioning Groups Urgent Care Review as of 14 January 2016.