Frequently Asked Questions

No. Healthwatch Hampshire is an independent organisation that is here to represent the views of the people that use health and social care services in the local area. We are completely separate from the NHS and the local authority, from commissioners and providers of services.

We can be influential and we can make a difference. We can take the evidence of what you tell us about your experience of local services, and what needs to change to make them better, to those who commission and provide those services and put the case for change.  We'll act as their "critical friend". But they have to listen to us and they have to respond to us - it's a legal obligation on them. We have a number of statutory powers that we can use to help us in our work. 

Local Healthwatch organisations are funded by central government, via the local authority (in our case, Hampshire County Council). The funding isn't ring-fenced (that is, the local authority can spend it how it chooses) but the local authority is under an obligation to assign enough resources to local Healthwatch to ensure that it can be an effective organisation, fit for purpose.

Healthwatch England is a national independent champion for consumers and users of health and social care in England. It provides leadership, support and advice to the wider local Healthwatch network. You can visit the Healthwatch England website here. By law the organisations who plan, run and regulate health and social care services have to listen to Healthwatch England. When it is made aware of failing services by the local Healthwatch network or the public, it will report them to key national organisations, including the Care Quality Commission and central government. They must submit a public response to its concerns.

No, local Healthwatch organisations are commissioned by their local authority and are accountable to them but they are also accountable to you. Our local authority is Hampshire County Council.

Healthwatch England works at the national level to take local experiences of care and use them to influence national policy. If you need to speak to someone about your personal experience or have feedback about health and social care, please contact us. We will help and gather your feedback. We have a process through which we can share your views with Healthwatch England formally so that it can identify national trends and act on them.

The CQC is the independent regulator of all health and social care services in England. It makes sure that care provided by hospitals, dentists, ambulances, care homes and services in people’s own homes and elsewhere meets national standards of quality and safety. The CQC take action against services that are not meeting its standards.

Healthwatch England has the power to recommend that action is taken by the CQC when there are concerns about health and social care services. The CQC provides support to Healthwatch England for services like finance, human resources and procurement. Locally, Healthwatch Hampshire can ask Healthwatch England to advise the Care Quality Commission about any special reviews or investigations which it thinks may be required but we can also share our concerns with the CQC directly.

Our remit covers any provider of health and social care that is in receipt of public funding.

Healthwatch Hampshire is not a membership organisation.  It is a service available (free) to anyone who lives or works in the County of Hampshire (excluding the cities of Southampton and Portsmouth). We very much welcome local people's involvement in our work.  See this page.

We welcome volunteers.  See our volunteer page here.