We connect the voices of local people across West Yorkshire to the region’s senior decision makers in healthcare. This is an exciting way for you to work with the NHS in West Yorkshire to shape decisions about how local healthcare is planned and delivered. What we learn from speaking to people, we feed directly back to those who can make changes. We want you to be West Yorkshire Voice.
“I hope this work celebrates the human side to the health and social care systems, to help promote decisions to be person/patient driven and not system/service driven.”
Why was West Yorkshire Voice created?
West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership and NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board want to understand what matters to local people and communities. They want to know where people think services can be improved and what’s working well. This is so they can deliver care and support that meets the needs of our diverse population.
To make sure the voice of people is central to its work, the Partnership asked Healthwatch to develop ‘West Yorkshire Voice’ to feed directly into decisions made about health and care.
What is the purpose of West Yorkshire Voice?
- To bring the real voice of people with lived experience and unpaid carers to decision-making.
- To give an opportunity to those who may not normally be involved and include the voices of those with the greatest health inequalities.
- To enable and support diverse involvement and representation.
- To form a key part of how health and care services, through the NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, are held to account by the people of West Yorkshire.
How do we have an impact?
As we have been asked to do this work by healthcare decision-makers, everything we learn from you, gets fed back. We act as a champion for the public voice, promoting the importance of including and involving lived experience perspectives in all healthcare decision making.
West Yorkshire Voice has already made a difference in the work of health and care services in our area. It will continue to develop in partnership with local people to make sure it is accessible, inclusive, and reflective of our communities.
Membership
You can join West Yorkshire Voice as an individual or a group here. West Yorkshire includes Bradford District, Craven, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield District.
Individual membership
As an individual you will be representing your own experience or the experience of someone you support in your personal life.
Group membership
The aim of West Yorkshire Voice is to reflect the diverse population and communities from across West Yorkshire. We want to link in with all the great work already taking place in local areas, but not duplicate what is already underway. We want to do this by linking in with existing community groups, organisations, networks and other relevant partners. By joining as a group member, you will be representing the experiences of others; these may be people you support or work with as a professional or your peers within a group.
You'll find information and resources for members on the West Yorkshire Voice members' page.
Want to find out more?
You can get in touch with us by emailing: info