Agenda item

8.1.      The Board considered the annual report of Healthwatch East Sussex (HWES) introduced by Simon Kiley. Simon thanked partners and colleagues for the messages of support following the news of Healthwatch’s dissolution. He clarified that HWES was one of 152 Healthwatch organisations across the country supported by Healthwatch England whose functions would be drawn into the new Directorate for Patient Experience within the Department of Health and Social Care. Local Healthwatch functions would be split, with the health component drawn into the ICB and the social care component into the local authority. There were significant challenges presented by the unclear timeline for this process and Government had not confirmed Healthwatch funding beyond March 2026. In the intervening period, HWES would continue its business as usual to champion mainstream and seldom heard voices.

8.2.      Going forward, HWES was concerned about the potential loss of an independent body enabling service users to share their experiences. In light of this, the HWB was asked to support the ongoing work of HWES until further clarity emerged and to collaborate with HWES over the coming months to explore future alternatives.

8.3.      Simon presented a video outlining the work of HWES in 2024/25, including extensive and valuable engagement with mainstream and seldom heard communities. This had been supported by positive relationships with health and care commissioners and providers. The work programme for the remainder of 2025/26 included work on restoring pharmacy provision in Hastings, wellbeing in emergency and temporary accommodation, experiences of patient transport, and evaluating mental health neighbourhood support teams.

8.4.      Simon Dowse noted the value of Healthwatch input and commented that partners in East Sussex should work together to preserve independent voice, adding that a prevention and integration agenda would not succeed without understanding what is valued by the public and patients.

8.5.      Councillor Ungar suggested that ESCC could assign officers specifically to the role of gathering the independent voice of the public. Mark Stainton responded that the Department could not commit fully to this as the details of how the Government would replace Healthwatch, and the funding to be allocated for these purposes, were uncertain. However, although there were good local authority networks in place, the independent voice of service users remained vitally important. ESCC would seek to retain this, but the approach would depend on the details and funding levels.

8.6.      Darrell Gale, Director of Public Health thanked Simon for the report and commented on the important role it played in providing an independent voice and noted an example of a Healthwatch report which had resulted in the rapid assessment of a care home and highlighted unsafe care settings to a national audience. He added that the Listening Tours enhanced the work of Public Health by contextualising data with the comments of service users on the everyday building blocks of health.

8.7.      The Chair echoed comments on the need for an independent public voice.

8.8.      Councillor Ungar proposed that the Board recognise as part of its recommendations the necessity of having an independent voice for local people with lived experience of health and care services. This was seconded by the Chair. Stephen Lightfoot noted that the West Sussex HWB had made a similar request in the previous week and it may be effective to coordinate these responses. The Chair confirmed that this would be taken forward.

8.9.      The Board RESOLVED to:

1.         note the Healthwatch East Sussex Annual Report 2024-25, and;

2.         note the importance and value of having an independent voice for local people with lived experience of health and care services in East Sussex.