Winner: Healthwatch Milton Keynes

Healthwatch Milton Keynes were winners this year for their work to help improve mental health services for women. 

Women using acute mental health services are more confident in their care and safety and less anxious about leaving the ward after they spoke up about staff attitudes, a lack of awareness of mental health issues and poor communication during discharge.   

Read their mental health project

Winner: Healthwatch in Sussex

Healthwatch Brighton and Hove, Healthwatch East Sussex and Healthwatch West Sussex worked together on a project to improve patient transport across Sussex. 

A new Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services has been built around what people wanted with improved access and information on eligibility after residents in Sussex spoke up about the challenges they faced when using the service.  

Read about their joint project

Highly commended

Three projects this year received a highly commended award from our judges: 

  • Healthwatch Barking and Dagenham for their project helping South Asian residents to have a better understand of what support is available and better access to social care services.
  • Healthwatch Herefordshire for their project enabling people with learning disabilities to have better access to vital annual health checks and vaccinations.
  • Healthwatch Liverpool for helping people with experience of trauma to feel more confident to book and attend healthcare appointments. 

Commended Healthwatch

Our panel of judges also commended the following Healthwatch for their work:

  • Healthwatch Dudley who helped people with communication needs and people with no fixed address to access GP services.
  • Healthwatch North Yorkshire for their project which resulted in better access to mental health support.
  • Healthwatch York who ensured adults entering the Autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder pathway experience a more straightforward journey. 

Shortlisted Healthwatch

This year 18 incredible projects were shortlisted for our awards from across England. 

Find out more about each project that reached our shortlist.