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This report has been produced by Healthwatch Together, who have engaged with individuals, carers and professionals involved in a section 42 safeguarding enquiry, to understand their experiences and whether they felt involved, supported and valued.

Findings were evaluated considering the Making Safeguarding Personal principles.

Healthwatch Lancashire heard an increased amount of feedback about mental health during 2022/23. Particularly, the long waiting lists people were experiencing when accessing mental health support. In response, ‘Waiting for Wellness’ was set up to explore people’s experiences of mental health in Lancashire. There was a particular focus on the waiting times of those accessing mental health support and whether people were aware of available services in Lancashire.

Feedback was also gathered from people who have not accessed support for their mental health, to investigate their reasons for this and whether they would know how to access support should they need it in the future. 

In winter 2021, Healthwatch Together completed face to face engagements in Emergency Departments, Walk-in Centres and Urgent Treatment Centres to investigate patient experience and presentation. These findings were presented to Lancashire and South Cumbria Health and Care Partnership to assist them with emergency care winter planning. 

One year on, Healthwatch Together has revisited this project and further engaged with people in Emergency Departments, Walk-in Centres and Urgent Treatment Centres. Findings have been analysed to investigate whether the recommendations made in 2021 have been implemented and whether they have made an impact on patient experience and presentation. 

In response to the cost-of-living crisis, Healthwatch Lancashire set up an online survey to investigate the experiences of Lancashire residents. There was a particular focus on the effects of the crisis on physical and mental health.

A GP Enter and View project was undertaken to explore patient experiences of booking appointments and the care they receive. Staff feedback was also collected to explore what solutions that surgeries were employing to meet demand. 

An Enter and View project was undertaken focusing on Lancashire day services for adults with learning disabilities and other neurological disorders, in order to provide the experiences and views of those using day services funded by Lancashire County Council.

The purpose of this project was to engage with seldom-heard communities and individuals, to gather their experiences of the Covid-19 vaccination programme, whether people chose to have the vaccination and factors which informed their decision.

This report has been produced by Healthwatch Together, who have engaged with members of the public across Lancashire and South Cumbria to understand patient experience and presentation at Emergency Departments, Urgent Treatment Centres and Walk-In Centres.

The primary focus of this engagement was to support Lancashire and South Cumbria Health and Care Partnership with winter planning, messaging and communication.

Healthwatch Together are working with colleagues from Public Health, NHS England, Blackpool Council, Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council and Lancashire County Council to hear about local peoples experiences of accessing community pharmacy services.

The Covid-19 pandemic has expedited a significant increase in the use of remote consultations in outpatient settings across the North West Coast. 

In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, we understand the move to more remote and digital options happened at speed, with quick decisions being made in light of national guidance from NHS England.

This Annual Report summarises our work over the past year and details how we’ve used your voice to make a difference to local health and care services.

Healthwatch Together quickly created a survey in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, with the aim of finding out how the people of Cumbria and Lancashire were coping during this difficult time.

This report is based on conversations with the Windrush Health Group in Preston, a group of Black Caribbean men, aged 29-66 years. 

The Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCFT) is currently working on updating its Clinical Strategy.