Agenda item

Report of Healthwatch.

The Board received a report from Healthwatch, City of London in respect of an update on progress against contractual targets and the work of Healthwatch City of London (HWCoL) with reference to the end of Q2 2024/25, and October 2024.

Officers advised the Board that the current contract of Healthwatch had been signed for a three-year term with the option of a two-year extension. The Healthwatch Annual General Meeting had been held in the previous month and it was a well-attended event. Officers were expected to also attend the Adult Social Care Assurance Board going forward and had attended the Health Social Care Scrutiny Committee to present an annual report. The Board was further advised that the Neaman Practice would be hosting a Covid-19 Vaccination Day in December 2024, and that the Men’s Mental Health Campaign was postponed until 2025.

Whilst the Healthwatch Digital App report was overdue, officers advised the Board that it would be published in the following weeks and a report would be submitted at the next meeting. The interim view of Bart’s Health report and Patient Advice and Liaison Services report were expected to be published soon also.

In response to this, a Member was concerned that there were those who were expected to pay £98 to have an alternative Covid-19 vaccination to Moderna. She believed the price to be expensive and wanted to know the justification for this price. Whilst unsure of the reasoning for the price difference officers did highlight that under the previous Covid-19 campaigns an alternative vaccine was provided for free under the NHS and officers would investigate further.

In respect of fall prevention clinics, officers advised the Board that this service was commissioned by Public Health, jointly for City and Hackney, and the City Corporation contribution was approximately £5,000 per year. However, funding was expected to be withdrawn from this service because it had become unviable and it was hoped that this service would instead be commissioned by the NHS. It was confirmed that the service would continue until March 2025, due to contract expiration, and the service would then need to be reprocured if they were to continue. However, there was a risk of hiatus in service and officers were keen to keen to mitigate the impact that this would have on City residents.

Members of the Board were strongly supportive of a continuation of service until fall prevention clinics gained support from the NHS or separate entity.

RESOLVED, that – the report and its contents be noted.