Team Healthwatch has had a busy few months getting around the borough, finding out how we can best work with our partners and with local people.

We have just been adding up how many people we have reached since April 1st we can’t believe that we have attended 50 meetings and events that were attended by more than 1000 people.

We have given presentations to GPs on the new Dudley Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) Board and to the Council of Governors at The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust.

Our vision was shared at the Making it Real staff and stakeholder roadshow and also with with the Chief Executive and Chair of Dudley & Walsall Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust.

We have also shared our news with Dudley’s new Healthy Living Champions and spread the word at the two day Dementia Gateways roadshow in Halesowen Town Centre.

The highlight for us has been our first Healthwatch Dudley event, where we asked “How can we work together to build the best Healthwatch?’

We brought together over 70 people from 40 local organisations and participants were encouraged to submit ideas for discussion as part of an unconferenced approach. Over 30 discussion topics were suggested and then grouped together.

11 workshops followed with lots of energetic debate. There were lots of questions too, some of which were answered on the day and others which have been used to start a questions and answers page on this site.

As you can see, there has been lots happening here and there is plenty of activity in the pipeline. If you haven’t already done so, you might like to sign up to our mailing list. Very soon we will be revealing more information about our board, Healthwatch Hotspots and new exciting volunteer opportunities.

Finally, we hope you like our refreshed website.  Our banner stars are people who support, or who are supported by Dudley Voices for Choice and who kindly posed for us. We would like to say a big thank you to them!  Very soon we will be adding lots more local faces to show how we represent the voices of everyone in Dudley borough. If you or someone from a group that you represent would like to be the face of Healthwatch Dudley, we would love to hear from you.

Our very best regards

Team Healthwatch