Details of the two projects – and why they were chosen – are set out in the newly published 2026-27 Operational Plan.
Feedback through community engagement and signposting and information work has highlighted two key areas of concern for those seeking mental health support – the length of time they need to wait to start receiving mental health support and what they can do while they are waiting.
The adult mental health project will include the hosting of focus groups to clearly understand the issues and needs of service users, a review of the accessibility pathways for who are not confident using technology and an awareness campaign highlighting patients’ rights when accessing mental health support.
Healthwatch will also develop recommendations and collaborate with the local authority commissioning team to improve the experience of adult mental health support.
The second project looking at hospital discharge follows local engagement which has highlighted public concerns including the lack of care plans put in place when needed and a lack of communication with family members.
It will include an online and paper survey to gather feedback from those who have experienced the hospital discharge process, focus groups and visits to hospital wards to speak with patients, family members and carers. Staff will also attend the Discharge Lounge at South Tyneside District Hospital to gather feedback around the discharge process.
These will be the final key priorities for Healthwatch South Tyneside as it enters its last full year of operation.
Last July the Government announced that as part of the NHS Ten Year Plan it would be transferring the work of Healthwatch England to the Department of Health and Social Care and the work of local Healthwatch services to the NHS and local authorities.
The changes will be included in the Health Reform Bill which is anticipated to be introduced to Parliament in early 2026 and enacted in early 2027.
At this stage it is believed that Healthwatch will continue until the end of the 2026/7 financial year until new arrangements are in place to replace its various functions. Funding for Healthwatch from the Department of Health and Social Care for the full year was confirmed in a local government bulletin issued last month.
Healthwatch South Tyneside was launched along with local Healthwatches across the country in 2013 to make sure NHS leaders and other decision-makers hear the care experiences of people in England and use their feedback to improve support.
A full copy of the Operational Plan can be downloaded here.
