Congratulations to Manchester M.E. patient Karen Morris, who has persuaded her local Healthwatch to run a qualitative online survey about the services available to people with ME/CFS in the Trafford area.
In their 45-question survey, Healthwatch Trafford ask patients to provide brief illness histories and then run through a series of easy-choice questions to find out how well they have been dealt with by local health services – particularly at GP and hospital levels. It can be filled in online HERE.
For people who find it difficult or impossible to work online, the questionnaire can be printed off and then returned by post.
A pdf can be found HERE and a version in Word can be found HERE
Information is primarily sought from people living in the Trafford area of Greater Manchester but we understand that questionnaires completed by people living outside the area may be shared with other Healthwatches. M.E. specialist paediatrician Dr Nigel Speight helped design the questionnaire and the project is supported by the Patients Association.
Karen Morris said today: “By gathering this information, Healthwatch will be able to identify where services are doing well and where they need to improve. They can then work with services and commissioners to make them better. Healthwatch will publish a report about the findings but individuals' answers will never be made public.”
Healthwatch England was set up by the Coalition Government in 2011 as an independent, people's champion for the NHS and now has Healthwatches in 152 local authority areas. It is not connected to the Healthwatch charity.
This is a great idea and should be formally rolled out nationwide.
It would therefore be useful for patients from outside the Trafford area to know how they can ensure that their completed surveys will be read by their own Healthwatch group.
Congratulations to Salford & Manchester for this initiatiave – brilliant, I wish you every success.
However, if my experience of Healthwatch is anything to go by, I suggest nobody holds his breath.
Healthwatch is an impotent, toothless watchdog sleeping in its kennel, occasionally waking up to justify its own existence.
Resuts? Forget it.
Thank you. The more people who complete this survey, the more likely it is to go nationwide (England). There has already been a massive response with 200 surveys being completed within the first two days (I am told, I do not see the results, confidential).
My experience with the Healthwatch people involved in this project so far has been extremely positive. They genuinely want to help. If you have problems as you say with your own local Healthwatch contact adam@healthwatchtrafford.co.uk.
P.S. this link to the survey works better than the other one, thanks Tony
http://healthwatchtrafford.co.uk/get-involved/surveys/mecfs-survey/
Thank you, Karen
I’ll insert this link into the main story.
Tony