Healthwatch Oxfordshire has been shortlisted for a national award by Healthwatch England.

Celebrated every year, the Healthwatch Network Awards highlight the ways in which local Healthwatch organisations across the country have helped make people’s views of health and social care services heard.

Healthwatch Oxfordshire has been nominated for an award in the category ‘(Championing diversity and inclusion), Understanding the needs of a community that is seldom heard’.

The nomination is for the video ‘Patient Voices…Our Story’, which Healthwatch Oxfordshire and local filmmaker Nicola Josse made with the Patient Participation Group of Luther Street Surgery, Oxford, and Oxford Health. This GP practice service the city’s homeless population and the film highlighted how the patients themselves were getting involved to shape how services are run.

The film was made with a grant from NHS England’s Celebrating Participation in Healthcare scheme.

There were more than 150 entries in total, across seven categories.

The overall winner from each category will be chosen by a panel of judges and announced at Healthwatch England’s annual conference in October 2018.

Rosalind Pearce, Executive Director, Healthwatch Oxfordshire, said: “We are delighted to receive this nomination. It is a testament to the hard work and passion shown by everyone involved with the Patient Participation Group at Luther Street, who work tirelessly for their fellow patients to help improve the service they receive.”

The film is on YouTube or at the Healthwatch Oxfordshire website.

Jane Mordue, Chair of Healthwatch England, said: “Last year, more than 341,000 people shared their views about where things could be improved in health and social care with the Healthwatch network.

“The Healthwatch Network Awards are a fantastic opportunity to celebrate this work, highlighting the difference local Healthwatch have made by using this wealth of intelligence to help decision makers target their efforts to make things better.

“This year we received some outstanding entries from the network with over 150 submissions. We were impressed by the quality and incredible range of work on show and they all highlight the real impact we can have when people’s experiences are placed at the heart of the services they receive.”