Independent patient and public voice matters. Local people's experiences matter.

Following its Third Reading in the Commons this week, the current Health Bill will proceed to the House of Lords where it may be amended. At present its provisions include the abolition of the independent patient voice through Healthwatch. We are contacting you because of your interest in the London Borough of Bromley, and as parliamentary debates on the future of Healthwatch continue, we would like to draw your attention to the positive differences Healthwatch Bromley (HWB) has made in our community.

As the independent champion of health and care service users, HWB has helped local people have their voices heard, identified service improvements needed, and worked with partners to effect these improvements, making positive changes for health and care patients in Bromley.

You can read more about our impact here:

• Annual Report 2025/26 HERE
• Report: The NHS App and MyChart - Views of Bromley Residents HERE
• Report: Bromley Drug and Alcohol Services - views and experiences of users HERE
• Report: Service Users’ Views on the Chartwell Unit - Winter 2025 HERE
• Report: Access to health and social care services for housebound people who have a long-term condition HERE
• Report: Access to and use of health and social care services by young carers in Bromley HERE

Our small team of three staff - one full and two part time - plus our wonderful team of volunteers – seek, record and publish the views of local people to articulate the patient and public voice, independent of service providers. We engage effectively and work closely with local groups and services to develop projects and carry out engagements. Although we are one of the smallest and lowest funded local Healthwatch services, we have delivered a strong body of work and continuously supported our local community since our creation. 

Examples of recent work of which we are most proud: 

• Enter & View health and care services – Trained Healthwatch staff and volunteers have statutory power to conduct thorough visits/reviews of services such as care homes, interviewing service users, staff and managers, producing reports with recommendations to which providers have 20 days to respond. Our recommendations have improved user safety and experiences, e.g. garden safety, window fastenings, hydration/nutrition, dementia friendly equipment and raising safeguarding concerns. 
• Patient Experience - Using data and reporting collected over a whole year to better see trends, actions that work, and where improvements can be made across services, reporting these to providers.
• Report: Access to health and social care services for housebound people who have a long-term condition - Our report has been discussed at recent committee and group meetings. Our recommendations, case studies and intelligence gathered are influencing current planned improvements to support for housebound borough residents with long-team conditions.
• Report: Service Users’ Views on the Chartwell Unit - Winter 2025 - We worked closely with King’s on this and collected patients' views in a way that wasn't previously being done. Our report and findings were discussed at the Health Scrutiny Sub-Committee and widely across the borough, bringing the patient voice to decision-makers and suggesting service delivery improvements. 
• Report: Access to and use of health and social care services by young carers in Bromley - The project was welcomed by local partners, and the report was positively received. The workshops we organised for young carers gave them welcome respite and allowed discussion and resolution of relevant issues.
• Information & Signposting - Our ongoing conversations, via telephone/email/in person,  help residents and inform them about available NHS services. We have supported people with NHS complaints, and directed residents to the appropriate healthcare service, e.g. a GP practice in their catchment area, a local community service, or via referral to a Social Prescribing Link Worker. We have also raised safeguarding concerns when we are worried about a local resident’s health and wellbeing. 
• Wellbeing Workshops - Our current programme of free local events, with guest speakers, is supporting health and wellbeing for Bromley residents, promoting digital inclusion and healthy nutrition, connections to combat loneliness, and increasing creativity in everyday life.  
• Digital Support - We have been working closely with Borough, Integrated Care Board and NHS staff, getting people working on the NHS and MyChart apps to work together.
• Urgent Care - We have recently been carrying out engagement visits and working directly with providers and key stakeholders who have said they will use the patient feedback and shared intelligence to improve service delivery across the borough. 
• Volunteers/interns - HWB gives people the opportunity and exposure to services and local training to develop their careers, or use their skills to benefit local people.
• Share Your Feedback About Sexual Health Services - Our most recent survey, designed in collaboration with Bromley borough and King’s College Hospital colleagues, addresses current knowledge gaps and will support and inform the Five-Year Plan locally and nationally.
• Mental Health Partnership – Developed with Kings College Hospital to support patient and carer voice for people with serious mental illness; facilitating regular focus groups, co-chairing a patient safety mental health improvement group, participating in staff recruitment and patient safety reviews, co-producing a workshop with KCH quality improvement team to develop improvement priorities. Outcomes include a lived experience review and improvements in staff training, safer rooms, a new enhanced care model and programme.
• Hospital Patient Transport (PT) - HWB skilled volunteers have created an on-going working partnership with the Princess Royal University Hospital transport team and their patient transport provider.  Outcomes for patients include: improved patient script, skills and processes at the Call Centre; better format of PRUH website; new patient satisfaction measures; removal of ‘busy’ message from call queue; reworked discharge document highlighting PT; identifying and addressing issues around patient discharge and abortive journeys, especially to care homes; helping individuals having transport difficulties on site; observing and reporting safety issues; co-producing improvement recommendations with the provider (specifying the need for a patient centric GPS tracking and information system, using the PRU discharge lounge as a managed welfare hub for waiting passengers); extending working relationships across the hospital at Board, executive and ward level (increasing HWB ability to influence improvements for Bromley residents).

We welcome your support in recognising the value Bromley Healthwatch brings to communities in our borough, and the vital importance of retaining and articulating a strong, independent patient and public voice.

#Healthwatch #PatientVoice #NHS #HealthAndCare

Cover photo: Healthwatch Bromley