Healthwatch Lambeth shortlisted for network award

 Shortlisting recognises Healthwatch Lambeth’s teams and volunteers for ensuring that patient and public voices are fed into governance structures and operational strategies.

Healthwatch Lambeth, along with the other 5 South-East London Healthwatch (Greenwich, Lewisham, Southwark, Bromley and Bexley) has been nominated for a prestigious national award for the creation of the role of South-East London Healthwatch Director. This role has helped ensure that patient and public voices are fed into governance structures and operational strategies of the Integrated Care System and allows each local Healthwatch to maintain a strong focus on each of the boroughs across South-East London.

Healthwatch Lambeth was shortlisted under the Working with your Integrated Care System’ category in the Healthwatch Awards 2021, which are run by Healthwatch England.

This annual event celebrates the difference Healthwatch’s 4,000 plus staff and volunteers across England have made over the past year. Healthwatch Lambeth is one of only 30 local Healthwatch out of a total of 152 across England to be in the running for one of the awards.

Healthwatch Lambeth will find out whether its award bid has been successful during Healthwatch Week, which runs from Tuesday 9 November 2021.

Catherine Pearson, CEO of Healthwatch Lambeth, said:

“The SE London Healthwatch have a strong history of effective collaboration, which has helped us to ensure that local people’s experiences of health and care services have continued to be heard and understood throughout the Covid 19 pandemic. We are all extremely pleased to be nominated for this award – the SE London Director is a fantastic asset to both Healthwatch and Lambeth, but also to the work of the whole SE London health and care system”.

Sir Robert Francis QC, Chair of Healthwatch England, said:

"This year once again the standard of entries for the Healthwatch Week awards was extremely high. Your local Healthwatch has been shortlisted because of excellent work which has really benefited your community.

“I am extremely proud of the inspiring dedication shown by our staff and volunteers to making a real difference for your community, whether that be by reaching out to those whose views are not being heard, helping people find the support they need or making sure NHS and social care services act on the improvements that you want to see.”

Like their colleagues across the country, Healthwatch staff and volunteers have been supporting their local community more than ever through the coronavirus pandemic by:

· Finding out what people like about health and social care support, and what could be improved

· Helping people find the information they need about services in their area and;

· Encouraging those in charge of NHS and social care services to make the changes that communities would like to see.

In addition, in response to the pandemic the team at Healthwatch Lambeth have also been supporting the borough’s efforts to increase awareness and understanding of how COVID-19 vaccines work, where the vaccines are being rolled out in Lambeth and improve uptake of the vaccine. By acting very quickly to address the gaps in knowledge about the vaccine in the early stages of the roll out, the team was able to respond to people’s concerns, improve knowledge and understanding and help people with their decisions about taking up the vaccine. More information about the Healthwatch Week Awards shortlist can be found here on the Healthwatch England website.

For more information about Healthwatch Lambeth and how its team continue to support people throughout the pandemic, click here.