Our workplan sets out the key areas we will focus on this year, based on what local people have told us matters most to them. It reflects our role as the independent consumer champion for health and social care in Westmorland and Furness.
Through this work, we will listen to people’s experiences, highlight what is working well, identify gaps in services, and use this evidence to influence improvements and support better outcomes for local communities.
This year, we are focusing on people’s experiences of neurology services across Westmorland and Furness.
We will work closely with patients, families, carers, and service providers to highlight areas of good practice as well as gaps in provision. This work is particularly important in South Cumbria, where a new provider took over neurology services from 1 April.
By gathering feedback directly from people using these services, we aim to ensure future provision is shaped by what matters most to patients. We will also explore neurology services in North Cumbria (Eden), focusing on experiences from the patient perspective.
We have already carried out extensive work on women’s health across Westmorland and Furness, building on conversations with women from local communities and NHS partners.
This work was shaped by a peer support group of diverse women and included our Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership (MNVP) activity, revisiting maternity units in Kendal and Barrow and speaking with new mums about their experiences, including the six-to-eight week postnatal check.
You can read our Women’s Health findings and recommendations in our published report.
This project explores how person-centred the safeguarding referral process is for the people involved.
Working in partnership with Westmorland and Furness Council, we will speak with individuals who have experienced safeguarding referrals, as well as the professionals who make them.
By understanding different perspectives, this work aims to identify what works well and where improvements could make the process clearer, more supportive, and more person-centred.
Transport is a recurring issue in feedback we receive from local people, particularly disabled people, older adults, and those without access to private vehicles.
Our Patient Journeys project explores how people across Westmorland and Furness use public transport to attend health appointments. We have gathered over 500 survey responses, alongside lived experiences, to understand the barriers people face and what works well. This feedback is currently being analysed and will inform a future report to help influence improvements in transport and access to healthcare services.
