Frequently asked questions

Healthwatch North East Lincolnshire (HWNEL) is the local champion for people using health and social care in North East Lincolnshire.

Our two main aims are to improve the way health and social care services work, and to do this by involving ordinary people in the way decisions about health and social care are made.

Healthwatch has been set up as the independent consumer champion for health and social care in England.

The NHS and social care services are going through a dramatic time of change, but we know that not all voices are being heard and that people can be unaware of the care and support that is out there.

Healthwatch is about local voices being heard so that health and social care services improve and you get the best possible care.

We are out in the community talking and listening to people. We tell services about your experiences of care and hold them to account.

Healthwatch has been set up in two distinct forms – local Healthwatch, at local level, and Healthwatch England, at national level.

For more information on what Healthwatch will do, visit the About us page.

No, Healthwatch North East Lincolnshire is accountable to the citizens of North East Lincolnshire, and North East Lincolnshire Council as the commissioners of the service.

Healthwatch England has been set up to give a national voice to the people who use health and social care services and to raise awarenss about the key issues that affect them.

It has been established as a statutory committee of the CQC.

The main functions of Healthwatch England are:

• to provide national leadership, guidance and support by way of advice and assistance to local Healthwatch organisations.
• to be able to escalate concerns about health and social care services raised by local Healthwatch, users of services, and members of the public to CQC.
• to provide advice and information to the Secretary of State, NHS Commissioning Board, Monitor and local authorities.

Healthwatch has a number of legal powers under the Health and Socil Care Act, 2012:

• to gather people’s views on, and experiences of, the health and social care system
• to send trained representatives to enter and view local services to speak to patients and service users, and observe services being delivered.
• to make reports and recommendations and to get a response from commissioners and service providers.
• to have influence on local commissioning decisions through membership of the statutory health and wellbeing board, and involvement in preparing joint health and wellbeing strategies.
• It has a place on the North East Lincolnshire Health and Wellbeing Board – meaning it has the power in law to influence local decision-making around health and social care
• It can feed views and recommendations to Healthwatch England who can take action at a national level if needed.

HWNEL has a small group of paid staff that promote and support its work but also relies on active volunteers. 

Volunteers are always working in several key areas. They help us to make local voices heard and to monitor and interact with health and social care services.

RIght now we are recruiting volunteers to help as: 

• Enter and View Representatives
• Community Engagement 
• Administration and Research

Volunteers are also invited to contribute and to consider current issues affecting the delivery of health and social care services in this area.

Find out more about volunteering

Under the Health and Social Care Act 2012, local authorities are required to have in place and service a Health and Wellbeing Board. The North East Lincolnshire Health and Wellbeing Board has a number of delegated powers. These include the following:

• To prepare a joint strategic needs assessment
• To prepare a joint health and wellbeing strategy
• To respond to consultations from clinical commissioning groups on their draft commissioning plans and amendments to those plans
• To respond to consultations from clinical commissioning groups on their annual report
• To respond to consultations from the National Health Service Commissioning Board in a performance assessment in relation to a clinical commissioning group
• To assess and publish a pharmaceutical needs assessment for North Lincolnshire                            

Health and Wellbeing Boards have a duty to encourage integrated commissioning between health, social care and public health by bringing together representatives of these sectors. By law Healthwatch North East Lincolnshire has a place on the Board.