Healthwatch Lincolnshire shortlisted for national award

Healthwatch Lincolnshire has been nominated for an award for in Championing diversity and inclusion.

We have been nominated for this award because of the work Oonagh Quinn our Engagement Officer has been doing with a group of Gypsy Travellers from Gainsborough which has helped to identify the difficulties Gypsy Travellers have accessing a range of health services.  As a result of the work Oonagh has been doing their Well Woman group have now received breast and cervical screening for the very first time.  In addition, their community have received bespoke training similar to the Mental Health First Aid Awareness Course. 

Every year, the awards celebrate positive stories of how local Healthwatch are helping to make care better for thousands of people. The Healthwatch Network Awards are an opportunity to demonstrate where local Healthwatch have gone above and beyond, to make sure health and social care services meet everybody's needs.

Healthwatch across the country listen to what people like about the NHS and social care and what could be changed. They share these views with professionals, so that services can understand what people and their families want from care.

These awards recognise the importance of how people’s feedback is vital. Thanks to the 406,000 people who shared their experiences with Healthwatch last year, positive changes have been made to how local health and care services are run.

The local Healthwatch shortlisted for 2019 Healthwatch Network Awards were picked from almost 150 award entries.

The winner from each category will be chosen by a panel of external judges and announced at the Healthwatch England Annual Conference on 1 October 2019.

“We are particularly proud of this work which has really made a difference to the Gypsy Traveller community in Gainsborough, a community that we know often find it very difficult to access routine health services which the rest of us take for granted”, said Sarah Fletcher, Chief Executive Officer of Healthwatch Lincolnshire.  Sarah went on to say that “the endorsement from Paul Boucher Director of the Lincolnshire Traveller Initiative has been a fantastic boost and helped to support our application for this award.  We look forward to attending the awards ceremony at the Healthwatch England conference in early October and are keeping our fingers crossed for success in being the overall winner”.

Jacob Lant, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at Healthwatch said, “The Healthwatch Network Awards are a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the difference local Healthwatch have made across the country.

“This year we received some outstanding entries from the network, which has made the shortlisting even more challenging. We have been very impressed by the quality and incredible range of work on show.

“These entries highlight the real impact we can have when people come forward and tell us about their experiences. Healthwatch can only make a difference when people speak up and help services understand what is working and what is not.”