FAQs

I have a complaint about health and social care services - what can I do?

You are entitled to expect good quality health and social care services, and when this does not happen, you have a right to complain. Download some handy tips below.

Is Healthwatch part of the NHS?

Is local Healthwatch accountable to Healthwatch England? 

How is Healthwatch Croydon different to Croydon Local Involvement Network? (LINK)? 

From 1st April 2013, Healthwatch is the new consumer champion for both health and social care. Healthwatch replaces Local Involvement Networks (LINk) but with additional functions and powers. The aim of Healthwatch is to give citizens and communities a stronger voice to influence and challenge how health and social care services are provided within their locality. It exists in two distinct forms: Local Healthwatch, at a local level and Healthwatch England, at a national level.

Key differences:

Healthwatch Croydon is an independent organisation, able to employ its own staff and involve volunteers, so it can become the influential and effective voice of the public

Healthwatch Croydon will be responsible for covering adults as well as children’s health and social care services

Make the views and experiences of people known to Healthwatch England helping it to carry out its role as national champion

Make recommendations to Healthwatch England to advise the Care Quality Commission to carry out special reviews or investigations into areas of concern

Promote and support the involvement of people in the monitoring, commissioning and provision of local care services

Obtain the views of people about their needs for and experience of local care services and make those views known to those involved in the commissioning, provision and scrutiny of care services; and make reports and make recommendations about how those services could or should be improved

Signpost people to information about local health and care services and how to access them

Have a seat on the local authority statutory Health and Wellbeing Board

What is the relationship between local healthwatch and Healthwatch England?

Healthwatch England works at the national level. Healthwatch England takes local experiences of care and use them to influence national policy.

Local Healthwatch signposts people to local health and social care services. They also collect and analyse the experiences that people have of local care to help shape local services. They will then feed views and any recommendations to Healthwatch England to act on at a national level.

Together we form the Healthwatch network.

When should I contact Healthwatch Croydon?

If you need to speak to someone about your personal experience or have feedback about a local health and social care service or would like to become a volunteer for Healthwatch.

Whilst we do not investigate individual cases, your feedback and experience will be collated by Healthwatch Croydon and passed onto the relevant providers and Healthwatch England to help identify trends for issues to be addressed.