Healthwatch network award winners 2020 announced

This year's awards celebrated efforts to improve mental health services, make armed forces veterans aware of their rights and championing the needs of people living with dementia.

During our annual conference, we came together to celebrate the work of more than 4,000 local Healthwatch volunteers and staff who help people with advice and find out the issues people face with NHS and social care so that services can improve.

Last year, 151 local Healthwatch all over England supported over one million people to either provide feedback on care or access advice and information about local services. Many local Healthwatch have also played an integral role in their communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Award winners

The impact our team makes

Celebrating the collective impact of one Healthwatch team, this award was won by Healthwatch Leeds for making sure local people’s views remained central to a new mental health strategy which brings together both children and adults’ mental health services. 

The impact we make with partners

Healthwatch Wiltshire won the award for working with a large number of organisations to establish how feedback gathered from 1,600 people across four years had been used to improve services for people living with dementia and their carers.

Celebrating our volunteer team

Volunteers play a vital role in contributing to the success of local Healthwatch.

Sheila and Wendy, volunteers at Healthwatch Northamptonshire, won the volunteers award for their work to champion service user feedback at Kettering General Hospital. The volunteers made 43 trips to visit patients on 50 wards to find out their views, the findings of which were used by the hospital  to develop an action plan based on the issues that the patients raised.

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

“Since the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded in March, staff and volunteers within local Healthwatch across England have not stopped working. Together, they have done amazing work, mobilising staff and volunteers to advise a concerned public, and alerting services to the issues that were confusing or preventing people from getting the care they needed.

“This year’s Healthwatch Awards have been a fantastic chance to recognise the difference local Healthwatch have made, both before and during the pandemic.

“They are also a great showcase of how by sharing your experience with Healthwatch or giving up your time to volunteer, you can make a real difference to your community. The judging panel was extremely impressed by the extremely high standards of nominations we received and, I would like to congratulate all those who were shortlisted for their achievements.”