Get involved with new Healthwatch panel to put local voices at heart of West Yorkshire health and care

West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership (WY HCP) wants to give people an opportunity to have a voice at a West Yorkshire level.

WY HCP, which plans and delivers health and care services for people across the area, has asked local Healthwatch in West Yorkshire (Bradford District and Craven, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield) to develop a new panel made up of people and communities from across the area.

It aims to empower people to have their say about services and to put the voice of people at the heart of decision-making at a West Yorkshire level.

Working with existing and new networks across local areas, people will have the opportunity to get involved in influencing decisions made by the new NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board and the West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership Board.

Sharanjit Boughan, West Yorkshire Healthwatch, said: “Ensuring diverse voices are heard from across the area is essential to help health and care services meet the needs of all our communities. We especially want to hear the voices of those who experience the greatest health inequalities and who we might not usually hear from. Please come forward and get involved.”

Cathy Elliott, Chair of the NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, said: “As the independent champion for anyone using health and care services, Healthwatch is a key partner within WY HCP and ideally placed to do this essential work on our behalf.

"We really want to reach as many people as possible, so that we can make sure people’s feedback and experiences of local services are heard at the highest level. This is ultimately all about making the right decisions and ones that make a positive difference to everyone’s lives.”