Decision details

Committee to receive an update on Enter and View Visits, including visits undertaken to Barnet Hospital. 

The Chairman invited Mike Rich, the new Head of Healthwatch Barnet, and Julie Pal, Chief Executive of Community Barnet, to the table.

A Member noted that Enter and View visits are conducted by trained volunteers and questioned if it was hard to recruit volunteers to undertake visits.  Mr. Rich advised the Committee that they had been successful at recruiting a high number of volunteers and that Healthwatch Barnet was recognised nationally as having one of the biggest Enter and View programmes in the country, with over 30 visits per year being carried out. 

Mr. Rich informed the Committee that over the last two years, Healthwatch Barnet had focussed Enter and View visits on care homes and mental health settings.  The Committee noted that Enter and View visits had also focussed on mealtimes. 

Mr. Rich noted that the role of Healthwatch, within the context of scrutiny, was to complement the work of the CQC.  The Committee noted that one of the benefits of Enter and View reports was that they provided an opportunity for Healthwatch to pick up on “soft” intelligence so that they can alert authorities to any issues that need addressing.

The Committee noted that most of the reports produced by the Enter and View team portray a generally positive outline of care providers and that the recommendations made by the reports are generally taken on board by the establishments visited.

Responding to a question from the Chairman, Mr. Rich advised the Committee that approximately six Enter and View volunteers were trained to visit mental health settings. 

Referring to The Oaks report, a Member noted that the Oaks Ward was in a complex at the back of the Chase Farm Hospital site, which was poorly signposted and badly lit.  The Chairman questioned if this matter would be taken any further.    Mr. Rich informed the Committee that it would be added to a list of points that could be sent to the Royal Free and that, in many cases, the ward manager would address the issues raised in a report with the relevant manager in the hospital. 

A Member of the Committee noted that the report stated that there was no alarm call system in the residents’ rooms in Oakleigh House and questioned the action that Healthwatch was going to take in relation to this matter.  Mr. Rich advised the Committee that Healthwatch Barnet would take this matter up and come back to the Committee with further information.   

Responding to a question from the Chairman, Mr. Rich advised the Committee that the Adults and Safeguarding Committee would be receiving a report from Healthwatch Barnet which summarised the findings of Enter and View visits more widely and provide the Committee with a clear picture of the Healthwatch Programme.

RESOLVED that the Committee note the report.