What we do

What Healthwatch East Sussex do

We capture the voice and lived experience of the people of East Sussex through a range of activities. This includes:

• Undertaking innovative engagement to build up a detailed picture of people’s experiences.
• Improving access to information about health and social care services and answering your questions via our telephone information service.
• Recruiting, training, and supporting a thriving network of volunteers, who are the ‘eyes and ears’ of Healthwatch East Sussex, and help us liaise with organisations across the statutory and voluntary sectors.
• Working with community and voluntary groups to find out what’s important to the people of East Sussex.
• Representing the views of local people to the East Sussex Health and Wellbeing Board
• Providing a complaints advocacy service via our partner organisation The Advocacy People to support people who make a complaint about health services.                                                            

Who we report to

We’re one of 152 local Healthwatch organisations in England. The network is overseen and supported by the national body, Healthwatch England, which provides a formal link to the Department of Health and Secretary of State for Health. We are independent. Our performance is closely monitored by Healthwatch England and East Sussex County Council, which receives money from the Department of Health to fund us.

Statutory Rights

Healthwatch East Sussex has rights in law to enter and view adult and children’s health care settings and adult social care settings. It must also receive a response from statutory agencies within 20 working days to any formal recommendations it makes.