Healthwatch Wandsworth Assembly September 2019
Health Inequalities were a priority for Healthwatch Wandsworth in 2018-19 and we wanted to ensure we continued to monitor developments relating to this topic.
Following on from our Assembly discussions in May 2018 which we reported to decision makers at Wandsworth NHS and Wandsworth Council, we wanted to explore the topic further. We started with an update from the NHS and Council to see what they have been doing since last year. You can read there reports here.
What we did
We had group discussions about what would make public health campaigns and information best reach health inequality groups, focusing on different groups, people with mental health issues, BAME people, LGBTQ+ people, informal or family carers, and people with learning difficulties.
We focused on these groups to follow those from our last event.
What we were told
People from these groups value positive messages presented in ways that are relevant to them. Messages need to be flexible for different people and groups. People gave some suggestions relevant to the groups they were discussing.
Stigma and engagement with campaigns could be addressed by an approach to build trust and by not presenting information as addtional problems to be dealt with.
Language and approach are important and specific suggestions were made from each group. A wide range of formats will reach the most people.
Campaigns could work closely with different specialist groups, Champions, GPs and other services such as libraries, pharmacies and leisure centres.
Next steps
People working in public health and the NHS in Wandsworth took part in the discussions and are able to take on board what was discussed. We will also share this report with them.
The suggestions and ideas in this report will inform our future work on health inequalities.
