Healthwatch Tower Hamlets

Your voice in health and social care matters Health and Social Care reforms in 2012 set the path to putting people at the centre of health and social care in England. Designed to help with this, the reforms created a Healthwatch in every local authority area across England as well as Healthwatch England, the national body (see Kings Fund guide to new NHS). Healthwatch Tower Hamlets is here to find out what you really think about your local health and social care services. Your experiences should be at the heart of NHS and Social Care services and should influence any changes to come. Through our members and volunteers, we can act as the eyes and ears of the people of Tower Hamlets, working closely with existing voluntary and community groups and our partners so together, we will see and investigate the important local issues and trends. With our diverse borough, we prioritise the key issues whilst aiming to represent the seldom heard, the vulnerable and those who are isolated, as well as the larger Tower Hamlets population. How do we make your voice count? •We gather first-hand experience from the people of Tower Hamlets and translate it into recommendations for the local health and social care authorities. •We sit on the Health and Wellbeing Board which gives us the power to influence local decision-making about health and social care. •We work closely with our local Clinical Commissioning Group (CCGs). CCGs are groups of GPs that are responsible for designing, planning and paying for local health services in England. The information we share helps them make important decisions about your local services. •We report to Healthwatch England – the umbrella organisation that oversees all the local Healthwatch organisations and makes national recommendations.