Agenda item

Mina Kakaiya, Operations Manager – Healthwatch Bromley provided an update to the Sub-Committee regarding their services during the Coronavirus pandemic.

The Operations Manager informed Members that during April, two part time Project Officers had been recruited by Healthwatch Bromley. In line with government guidelines and social distancing measures, the face-to face engagement model for Healthwatch services had been adapted. The core offer of patient engagement during this period had included:

-  Fortnightly online Zoom sessions for the community, individuals, and local groups to share their experiences;

-  Providing a Whatsapp Information and Signposting service to enhance the phone, email and website offer;

-  Regular website news updates (from PHE and NHS England) and a specific COVID-19 information page had been set up;

-  Increased social media platforms to share key messages, provide information and signposting and support local health and care partners in reaching wider audiences;

-  Promoting the patient experience programme; and

-  Promoting the Bromley COVID-19 Volunteer Hub.

Other core service functions had included work being undertaken on the Quarter 4 Monitoring and Patient Experience Report. In total 467 patient experiences had been received, but work had been halted on the 15^th March 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic. However, the Autism Care Pathway Report 18+ had been completed, and would be published shortly, as had the Healthwatch Bromley Annual Report 2019-2020.

The Enter and View Programme for Quarter 1 had been put on hold, and discussions with commissioners would take place to consider how this would be taken forward in Quarter 2. The research study on domiciliary care had also be put on hold, however a deep dive regarding adult mental health services was planned. In relation to patient experiences, the Operations Manager noted that reviews had been obtained from online platforms including relevant NHS and care home websites. For Quarter 1, 300 views had been captured, however they had not been able to meet their target of 600.

The Executive Assistant for Adult Care and Health asked for more details regarding the number of residents and charities that had engaged in the Zoom sessions. The Operations Manager advised that of the 82 participants, 21 had been residents; 42 were charity representatives; and 19 were Local Authority representatives. It was agreed that the Operations Manager would provide further breakdown of these details to the Executive Assistant for Adult Care and Health following the meeting, and a revised report would be circulated to Members.

The Executive Assistant for Adult Care and Health also asked for clarification of the number of enquiries that were made about lack of access to housing support and housing benefit and how these were taken forward. The Operations Manager advised that this feedback had come out of a Zoom session, referring to two clients with mental health issues and the barriers to accessing the online form and applications. However, more support regarding this had been provided.

The Portfolio Holder for Adult Care and Health noted that it would be helpful to receive further clarification on some of the statements made in the Healthwatch Bromley report, to put them into context. It was agreed that the Executive Assistant for Adult Care and Health would take this forward with the Operations Manager – Healthwatch Bromley.