Commissioners red carded!

Healthwatch Surrey have exercised their powers under the Health & Social Care Act 2012 to refer the “issue of changes to sexual health services in Surrey and in particular the lack of appropriate engagement and consultation with the public and users of these services” to the Surrey County Council Adults & Health Select Committee. This Committee has the scrutiny role for health and social care services for Surrey. In her letter to Committee Chairman, Ken Gulati, the Chief Executive of Healthwatch Surrey, Kate Scribbins, writes “ We have not seen evidence to date of any substantial engagement (particularly) with users of HIV services, or evidence of how this feedback has been incorporated into service change. Given the importance of these services to local people and to those who are in vulnerable circumstances, some of whom have complex co-morbidities and needs, we are very concerned at this apparent lack of engagement.” She further states that Healthwatch Surrey “have written to commissioners to urge them to provide more time for further engagement to take place”. http://www.healthwatchsurrey.co.uk/news/changes-sexual-health-services-surrey-responded/ This echoes our urgent appeal to the commissioners – Surrey County Council and NHS England - to extend the existing BHU contract for a further six months to enable all the current uncertainties about future service provision and funding arrangements to be properly worked through with the full engagement of BHU patients, GPs and other stakeholders. We shall be making the case for extra time, along with Healthwatch Surrey, at the meeting of the Adults & Health Select Committee at County Hall, Kingston on Monday 4th September at 10:00AM. This is a public meeting. Transport is being arranged from Chertsey – if you wish to attend, please let us know on bhupatients@gmail.com