Agenda item

 

To receive a report which provides an overview of the work undertaken by Healthwatch Rotherham in 2024-25 and outlines priorities it had identified for the coming year.

 

 

The Chair welcomed Kym Gleeson, Healthwatch Rotherham Manager to the meeting and invited them to introduce the annual report.

 

The Healthwatch Rotherham Manager acknowledged the recent government announcement signalling the intention to terminate the Healthwatch model by amending the Health and Social Care Act and transfer its statutory functions to the DHSC (Department for Health and Social Care). This development raised  concerns about the future of statutory independence, service continuity, and the long-term mission to amplify patient voices and address health inequalities. Despite the uncertainty and lack of a clear transitional plan from commissioners, Healthwatch remained committed to safeguarding Rotherham’s independent voice and working with strategic partners to protect transitional areas.

 

The Chair responded by commending Healthwatch Rotherham for its outstanding work over the years, acknowledging its role in bringing critical issues to light and representing the voice of the community with dedication and effectiveness.

 

The Healthwatch Rotherham Manager described that during 2024–2025, Healthwatch Rotherham had undertaken a wide range of impactful activities aimed at amplifying the voices of local residents and improving health and social care services. During the year, Healthwatch engaged with over 1000 individuals who shared their experiences of health and social care, highlighting both successes and areas needing improvement. The organisation supported more than 10,000 people by providing guidance on accessing NHS dentists, understanding mental health services, and navigating the healthcare system.

 

Outreach efforts included 126 sessions reaching over 4,000 individuals, and targeted health information was delivered to more than 250 people through “Let’s Talk” sessions on topics such as smoking, vaping, and digital support.

 

Healthwatch’s digital presence extended its reach to over 40,000 people via social media, enabling access to health information beyond traditional methods.

Behind every statistic lay a personal story, and Healthwatch focused on preserving dignity, empowerment, and equity in care. Five focus reports were published during the year, each based on direct community feedback. These reports addressed issues such as misaligned appointment times with public transport timetabling, the need for real-time travel information, and calls for more evening and weekend services. Following the transport report, local bus operators and NHS schedulers revised timetables and added stops.

 

People with Autism and those with learning disabilities advocated for routine health checks, sensory-friendly waiting areas, easy-read materials, health passports, and staff training in compassionate communication.

 

Refugee communities highlighted inconsistent interpreter availability, lack of continuity between trusts, and limited cultural competency among staff, requesting more translation support and tailored mental health outreach.

People experiencing homelessness called for mobile clinics, fast-track dental referrals, addiction and mental health support at shelters, and digital inclusion initiatives.

 

Healthwatch also engaged with 445 young people who expressed confusion about where to seek mental health support. In response, the organisation created and distributed a young persons’ mental health directory, available both online and in print. The Young Persons Report was selected to feature in the Director of Public Health’s annual report, demonstrating its broader value to services and the council.

 

Continued engagement with the neurodiverse community led to the co-production of an Accessible Information Standard style card to address the lack of reasonable adjustments in care. The easy-read communication card was embedded into practice, enabling clearer healthcare conversations. These efforts translated into tangible changes.

 

Healthwatch’s regional collaboration with counterparts in Sheffield, Doncaster, and Barnsley facilitated county-wide issue identification and coordinated action. Its presence on the Place Board and partnership with Citizens Advice ensured that Rotherham residents’ experiences influenced regional planning and service improvements.

 

Through targeted projects, Healthwatch transformed lived experiences into actionable insights, co-designed solutions with service providers, and maintained a consistent stream of community feedback to sustain change.

 

Personal stories were central to Healthwatch’s approach. Alina’s blog, detailing her journey as a refugee navigating inconsistent NHS care, prompted South Yorkshire ICB (Integrated Care Board) to invite her to present at a full board meeting and arrange for her story to be filmed.

 

When veterans requested a portable health passport, Healthwatch collaborated with the Rotherham Foundation Trust and the veterans themselves to co-design an A5 document that captured individual adjustment preferences, empowering veterans during appointments. Healthwatch’s sustained engagement led to measurable improvements, including redesigned waiting areas and simplified referral pathways.

 

Monthly “What We Heard” insights and “Let’s Talk” sessions expanded community reach by over a third compared to the previous year. The organisation deliberately sought out underrepresented voices and translated their experiences into clear, targeted recommendations. Its information and signposting service supported over 10,000 people with reliable guidance on navigating the NHS, registering with GPs, and raising concerns about care. The website hosted mental health resources and Easy Read materials to promote independence and self-advocacy. Healthwatch also supported the development of a comprehensive Easy Read section with BSL (British Sign Language) tools in collaboration with the local ICB (Integrated Care Board) and the Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust.

Volunteers played a vital role in Healthwatch’s work. Eight volunteers, including third-year medical and psychology students from the University of Sheffield, contributed 511 hours. Their involvement in enter-and-view visits and co-delivery of sessions provided them with meaningful patient interactions, which they described as invaluable and transformative for their future practice.

 

Looking ahead, Healthwatch planned three focus areas based on feedback from the past year: understanding digital and non-digital access challenges, supporting people with addiction and recovery, and exploring social care experiences. The latter was a new area of focus, informed by liaison with the Strategic Director of Adult Social Care, Housing and Public Health and participation in the ADASS peer review, including a mystery shopping exercise that identified front-door challenges and led to staff training.

 

The Healthwatch Rotherham Manager concluded with a respectful request for continued support to sustain independent patient voice’s central role in shaping future services, especially in light of the proposed termination of the Healthwatch model.

 

The Chair thanked the Healthwatch Rotherham Manager for the detailed report and invited questions and comments from Members.

 

Councillor Brent asked king whether Healthwatch had worked in areas related to sexual health, sexuality, and gender identity, particularly in support of young people.

 

The Healthwatch Rotherham Manager responded that Healthwatch had actively worked with Rainbow in Wath, engaging with various groups including a transgender group. They had provided reassurance following changes in gender classification arising from the recent ruling and liaised with health partners to ensure compassionate care.

 

Councillor Brent appreciated the response and noted that the information would be useful for the Corporate Parenting Partnership Board. They also reflected the difficulties some members had experienced when reading the ADASS Peer Review Report and highlighted the importance of easy-read materials for those who needed them.  They queried whether the library of easy-read materials created by Healthwatch might be lost and how the generation of further easy read materials might be sustained in its absence.

 

The Healthwatch Rotherham Manager explained that engagement with neurodiverse communities had revealed a lack of easy-read materials, prompting Healthwatch to champion their development. They had collaborated with Rotherham Hospital to pilot easy-read letters for younger patients and were advocating for broader adoption across South Yorkshire, but agreed that this was a source of concern.

 

Councillor Harper asked about the health outcomes Healthwatch hoped to achieve through initiatives like the mystery shopper exercise, particularly for those receiving home care.

 

The Healthwatch Rotherham Manager explained that Healthwatch aimed to understand how recipients and providers of care packages felt about their experiences, including social contact and emotional wellbeing. She emphasised the importance of listening to lived experience to inform service design and expressed hope that the ICB would continue to commission independent voices.

 

Councillor Harper responded by expressing concern about Healthwatch’s future and asked whether the organisation could continue in some form.

 

The Healthwatch Rotherham Manager clarified that Healthwatch was being abolished due to national policy changes and would cease to exist. They noted that the current funding was expected to last until March 2027, but uncertainty could lead to staff departures prior to that time.

 

Councillor Duncan reiterated the importance of independent patient voice in shaping services and driving improvements and transformation, and asked how scrutiny could support the transition from Healthwatch any new means of capturing patients voice that may be established.

 

The Healthwatch Rotherham Manager shared that Healthwatch’s strategic board was preparing a lobbying effort to retain an independent patient voice in Rotherham and encouraged Members of the committee to support that if they were at all able.

 

Councillor Garnett queries how effectively public feedback was being integrated into decision-making and whether there were examples of service changes resulting from Healthwatch’s work.

 

The Healthwatch Rotherham Manager provided several examples, including making GP surgeries more dementia-friendly and working with Rotherham Hospital’s audiology department to reduce waiting times for hearing aids by establishing outreach clinics. She noted that many more examples were included in the report.

 

Councillor Clarke asked whether the decision to abolish Healthwatch was solely financially motivated and whether commissioners were resisting to the proposed change.

 

The Healthwatch Rotherham Manager responded that they understood that commissioners had received no prior information about the proposals and learned about the decision through announcements made in the media, which they felt was regrettable.

 

Councillor David Fisher asked about the young persons’ directory and whether Healthwatch could measure its success.

 

The Healthwatch Rotherham Manager confirmed that the directory was a living tool and that QR codes had been distributed to schools and colleges for easy access. They were unable to provide data at that time, but agreed to provide this through the Governance Advisor at a later stage.

 

Councillor Yasseen praised Healthwatch’s role in amplifying resident voices and noted the importance of its independent perspective, whilst noting the non-political nature of scrutiny work. They wanted to understand how Healthwatch had been able to increase resident engagement by 33% despite limited staffing.

 

The Healthwatch Rotherham Manager advised that the Healthwatch Rotherham team consisted of only 3.6 full-time equivalent staff and credited the increase to the addition of a dedicated information and signposting officer which had freed up time for the engagement officer to undertake additional outreach work. They also attributed the success to the team’s passion and versatility.

 

Councillor Paul Thorp was impressed that Healthwatch had been able deliver so much with a limited budget and expressed hope that efforts could be made to preserve its work. Councillor Havard echoed Councillor Thorp’s sentiment, noting Healthwatch’s consistent presence at carers’ forums.

 

The Chair referred to the Health Hub item discussed at the previous Health Select Commission meeting and asked whether Healthwatch had identified service gaps in services that could be addressed in phase two of the project.

 

The Healthwatch Rotherham Manager advocated for the inclusion of secondary care services in the Health Hub due to accessibility challenges in the hospital setting.

 

The Healthwatch Rotherham Manager concluded by extending and invitation to a health fair at Rotherham Minster on 11 September 2025, encouraged them to attend if they could and share details of the event with Rotherham communities to maximise reach.

 

Resolved:-

 

That the Health Select Commission:

 

1. Noted the contents of the Healthwatch Annual Report.

 

2. Agreed to identify, with the assistance of Healthwatch’s insights, potential health services that could be incorporated in considerations for Phase 2 of the Health Hub Development to share with relevant Council services.

 

3. Requested that Healthwatch and relevant Officers consider how patient voice might best be represented going forward and how scrutiny can support that.

 

4. Requested that Healthwatch and relevant Officers consider how an easy-read document library including health literature might be sustained in the absence of Healthwatch.

 

5. Agreed to receive data relating to engagement and impact of the Young Person’s Directory from Healthwatch at a later stage.  The specific timeline for this was to be confirmed.