Ex Civil Servant Diana Sees the Power of Community Action

“As a civil servant I knew how to run formal meetings. There was a way that things had to be done. But since volunteering for Healthwatch I am a convert! It is not all about meetings in official buildings; it is about affecting change by getting involved with and listening to communities. It is new to me, but I can see for myself it works.”

“They look after their volunteers in Healthwatch. They offer support and training so you never feel out of your depth or isolated. And they give you great opportunities: I now sit on the Scrutiny Committee and the Health and Wellbeing Board, and meet the Chair of the Royal United Hospital with my Wiltshire colleague every three months. And I get involved in the Enter and View project which allows us to go and see health and social care facilities at first hand and talk to patients, carers and staff. The Healthwatch emphasis is listening – if you listen to people talking about their experiences, you can improve services. It is simple and obvious, and it works.”

“Diana’s experience is invaluable to us. She works very hard and her knowledge of how big organisations operate and make decisions is very useful. We rely on volunteers: their expertise and experience make them ideal to help health and social care providers see what they need to do to improve – and we always need more!”