Welcome to your local healthwatch site.

Healthwatch England is an independent national champion for people who use health and social care services and we are here to find out what matters to people and help make sure their views shape the support they need.

We are your local Healthwatch, there is a Healthwatch in every area of England. Nationally and locally, here in Blackburn with Darwen, we have the power to make sure that those in charge of health and social care services hear people's voices.  People's views come first - especially those who find it hardest to be heard.

As well as seeking the public's views ourselves, we also encourage health and social care services to involve people in decisions that affect them and  how this could be improved, and we share these views with those with the power to make change happen.

Healthwatch also help people find the information they need about health and social care services in their area.

The NHS COVID-19 app is part of a large scale coronavirus (COVID-19) testing and contact tracing programme called the NHS Test and Trace service in England and the NHS Wales Test, Trace, Protect service in Wales.

The app will be used, alongside traditional contact tracing, to help notify users if they have come into contact with someone who tests positive for coronavirus. The app allows people to report symptoms, order a coronavirus test, check in to venues by scanning a QR code and it helps the NHS trace individuals that have coronavirus.

The app will help the NHS understand if the virus is spreading in a particular area, and so local authorities can respond quickly to stop it spreading further and save lives. The app does this while protecting a user’s anonymity. Nobody, including the government, will know who or where a particular user is.

The NHS in every area of England has been tasked with setting out how it plans to achieve wide-scale changes that make the most of the funding available and improves care for patients.

These ‘Sustainability and Transformation Plans’ (STPs) have been asked for by NHS England in response to the big challenges society faces when it comes to people’s health and the services that support them.

In total 44 STPs have been established across England to deliver the NHS Five Year Forward View vision of better health, better patient care and improved NHS efficiency. 

Lancashire & South Cumbria is one of these 44 STP footprints and is made up of Local Development Plans across five areas:  Central Lancashire, West Lancashire, Fylde Coast, Pennine Lancashire and Morecambe Bay.

In November 2016 Healthier Lancashire &South  Cumbria published its plan which can be viewed here:  STP Plan for Lancashire & South Cumbria

Over the next few months Healthier Lancashire & South Cumbria will be holding a series of workshops to ensure that the views of the local population are listened to.  If you would like further information about the date of the next workshop please contact the Healthwatch Blackburn with Darwen Office on 01254 292686