Healthwatch Northamptonshire receives highly commended recognition at national award
Our work with the local armed forces has been recognised as ‘Highly commended’ in this year’s Healthwatch Network Awards for in the ‘Helping more people to have their say’ category.
Current and former Armed Forces members and their families in Northamptonshire shared their views to help shape services by taking part in our survey. The survey aimed to help the Armed Forces Community Covenant Partnership address issues such as the return to civilian life and health problems and draw up the first ever map of the size and scale of the Armed Forces community in Northamptonshire.
Our survey found that:
- A third of veterans said they found it difficult to access GP and mental health services
- A fifth of veterans thought they had a mental health need relating to their military service, such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- A quarter of veterans said they had a physical need relating to military service, such as arthritis
Every year, the Healthwatch Network Awards celebrate the many positive stories of how the local Healthwatch network is helping to make care better for thousands of people. The awards are an opportunity to demonstrate where local Healthwatch worked within the local community to make sure health and social care services meet people's needs.
Healthwatch listen to what people like about the NHS and social care and what needs to be improved. Their views are shared with health and care professionals, so that services can understand what people and their families want from care.
These awards recognise how people’s feedback is vital to improving services. Thanks to the many hundreds of thousands of people who shared their experiences with Healthwatch last year. This has led to positive changes to the way local health and care services are run.
I am very pleased that our work with local Armed Forces is being recognised nationally. It’s very important to Healthwatch Northamptonshire that seldom heard groups are represented and that their voices are heard. I hope this recognition gives more awareness of the Armed Forces Covenant, ensuring that veterans do not feel at a disadvantage when it comes to health and social care, especially concerning mental health.
The Healthwatch Network Awards is a fantastic event which showcases the very best of local Healthwatch and it’s an opportunity for everyone to come together and celebrate the impact our teams and volunteers have in improving health and care across the country. The awards demonstrate the breadth of issues local Healthwatch work on every year. Their work makes sure people’s experiences are placed at the heart of the services they receive. I’d like to acknowledge and thank all the network and congratulate those who took part, they have done their communities proud.
