Healthwatch West Sussex Annual Report 2024-25: Unlocking the power of people‑driven care
We have undertaken a range of projects and initiatives over the last 12 months to engage with a diverse range of individuals and communities living in different areas of West Sussex, and worked hard to share these experiences and preferences on health and care services with commissioners and providers so that they focus on meeting the needs of local people.
Our year in review
Reaching out
- 15,746 people shared their experiences of health and social care services with us, helping to raise awareness of issues and improve care.
- 992 people came to us for clear advice and information on topics such as help with making a NHS complaint, finding a dentist and feedback about people’s experiences at General Practices.
- 25 newsletters and bulletins issued and over 400 social media posts giving you information and updates about services.
Making a difference to care
- We published 32 reports covering the improvements people would like to see to health and social care services.
- Our most popular report was the Enter & View Programme Southlands Hospital Report, highlighting people’s experiences, including what works well and what could be improved. We used the evidence to make recommendations and inform changes both for individual services as well as health and social care systems wide. Other popular reports included the: Cancer Care Review and Barriers to accessing healthcare support when homeless.
Health and care that works for you
- We’re lucky to have 65 volunteers, who gave up 1,814 hours to make care better for our community.
- We’re funded by our local authority. In 2024-25 we received: £234,696, which is the same as last year.
- We currently have 7 staff who help us carry out this work.
How we’ve made a difference throughout the year
Our biggest projects between April 2025 to March 2025.
Spring
- We built a strong partnership with South Downs National Park and Sussex Community Transport, helping secure a health and wellbeing travel grant to connect communities and enhance wellbeing.
- We conducted a stakeholder survey to get feedback on our services. Based on this feedback, we created an action plan to improve our performance and provide more value to the community.
Summer
- We appointed a Children and Young People Lead and a youth-led team to improve chlamydia screening rates in West Sussex. Their feedback shaped a social media campaign to raise awareness and drive action.
- This summer, we doubled our presence at fresher fairs, engaging with about 100 young people to hear their healthcare experiences and priorities, ensuring their voices shape future services.
Autumn
- We identified an opportunity to improve post-diagnosis cancer care and highlighted access inequalities. This resulted in a focus group and actions to ensure all patients receive consistent statutory care reviews.
- We spoke with residents at community centres and found that these spaces are important for health and social connections. We published a report to encourage similar initiatives in West Sussex.
Winter
- Healthwatch in Sussex won the National 2024 Healthwatch England Award for our work on the Sussex Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service (NEPTS), where we gathered community feedback and influenced regional plans.
- We partnered with Crawley Local Community Network to conduct a survey on the experiences of those in temporary accommodation, resulting in a report with actionable recommendations for meaningful change.
Unlocking the power of people‑driven care
The power of your voices - shared through surveys, community outreach, focus groups, and advocacy - has driven our work and shaped the way care is delivered. From volunteers offering their time and insight, to our dedicated Healthwatch and Advocacy teams working tirelessly behind the scenes, every contribution has counted.
Looking ahead, our focus remains clear. We will continue to:
- Champion the voices of underrepresented and marginalised communities.
- Use real experiences to influence decisions.
- Collaborate with others to improve outcomes.
- Ensure every person has the opportunity to shape the care they receive.
Who we share our report with
Our Healthwatch Annual Report has been submitted to Healthwatch England, alongside reports from all local Healthwatch in England.
We also share our report with West Sussex County Council as the commissioners of the local Healthwatch service, and with a wide range of our statutory and voluntary sector partners across West Sussex.
If you find this interesting or you are interested in the work we do, please feel free to share or forward our annual report with your contacts or network.
Tell Us Your Experiences
Take five minutes to share your experiences.
NHS and social care staff are doing everything they can to keep us well during these challenging times, but there might be things that can be improved for you and your loved ones. Please take five minutes to share your story with us.
We're here to help
Whether you'd like to share your feedback about health and care services, or you're looking for local support - get in touch.
0300 012 0122
