Healthwatch Haringey continues to chart the challenges for many people in accessing health and social care, focusing on the importance of research in understanding the unmet needs of patients.
Published : July 11, 2024
Public Voice runs and manages Healthwatch Haringey. Our annual report showcases three of our key projects from the year 2023 to 2024:
Our Healthwatch Haringey team worked with Whittington Health NHS Trust to explore why particular communities in Haringey were underrepresented in their use of the Wood Green Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC).
In July 2023, we successfully organised four focus groups, actively involving members of the Turkish, Black Caribbean, and Polish Communities in Haringey. These sessions were thoughtfully designed to gather invaluable insights from underrepresented communities and placed a special emphasis on strategies to enhance accessibility and to help shape the services on offer at the Centre.
In 2024, Healthwatch Haringey worked together with Haringey Advice Partnership to explore the experiences of people living with sickle cell in Haringey and the challenges they face.
This was both a look back at the history of sickle cell patient experience, research on how the condition impacts the patient, and how current services address patient need.
In September 2023, Healthwatch Haringey were commissioned by Haringey’s Public Health Team to explore the attitudes and behaviours of secondary school age pupils around vaping.
The research explored vape usage, health implications, the attraction and appeal of vapes, and the motivations for vaping. The aim of this research was to help schools in Haringey to consider specific policies, approaches and alternative support for pupils in Haringey who may be vaping.
We arranged and hosted seven focus groups with a total of 60 pupils. We carried out eight interviews and we surveyed 358 pupils.
Our annual report also features the ongoing work we have done around GP access, ‘Pharmacy First’, and barriers to GP registration.
Sharon Grant OBE Chair, Healthwatch HaringeyWith services of all kinds under pressure for resources and staffing, there remains a danger that inequalities are accentuated rather than addressed – unless we give voice to the most vulnerable and work closely with partners to find solutions.
