Tell your local Healthwatch

[Spareribs]

"to make the biggest difference, we need to hear from more people"

healthwatch.co.uk/itstartsw...

I've just contacted them about the proposed withdrawal of T3, they want to hear from you....

(I also said that T4 is not the "one size fits all" solution, the treatment of Thyroid disorders is disgraceful, and this creates a downward spiral to other conditions).

J

[Kitten1978]

THANK YOU Spareribs Yes, we need to be contacting them!!!! It's a great idea.

[Spareribs in reply to Kitten1978]

Healthwatch has been mentioned here a few times - I think we just forget it's there...

healthunlocked.com/search/h...

[Kitten1978 in reply to Spareribs]

If we keep contacting them about the same issue, they are supposed to react.

[Spareribs in reply to Kitten1978]

If everyone did that would make a difference

[Nanaedake in reply to Spareribs]

Could the admins pin something about contacting Local Healthwatch and Healthwatch England to ask for better thyroid care to this feed?

[Nanaedake]

This is the Healthwatch England website which we should all contact but each person also has a local healthwatch organisation they should contact in addition to Healthwatch England. You can find your local healthwatch by locating it through Healthwatch England website or just do a google search. Healthwatch gathers patient experience, advocating for better care and works with commissioners to shape services.

Yes, the number of people who contact Local Healthwatch and Healthwatch England about the same issue is what makes a difference.

I think we should tell them not just about T3 withdrawal but also about the quality of care for thyroid conditions in general. I also think we should make sure that the forthcoming new NICE guidelines for thyroid care are not wholly driven by the BTA, the RCP and other experts who don't live with thyroid conditions but are driven by patients who actually live with the diseases in partnership with the experts. We need to make sure the guidelines incorporate the kind of care patients want.

Could the administrators pin a post about contacting Healthwatch to call for better thyroid care on this feed?

[Spareribs in reply to Nanaedake]

Thanks Nanedake - I did say Thyroid treatment was severely lacking amongst other things like T4 doesn't work for everyone etc (bit added to the pinned post above).

On the Healthwatch link there's a "find your nearest local Healthwatch" tab, for a map & A-Z of counties. This will bring you to a "tell us" form - or simply email them. I seem to remember last time they replied that the committee consider specific areas to investigate and I replied with more details. Whether their decision is driven by the numbers of requests or more urgent criteria, I don't know.

Yes Lyn has been approached by NICE, as a stakeholder TUK (yipee!).

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

I hope we're getting somewhere! J

[Nanaedake in reply to Spareribs]

I'll try to put together a sensible document to submit to our local healthwatch on my views on long term aftercare of hypothyroidism in thyroid cancer patients.

[topaz1]

Thank you spareribs, have just sent a long missive to my local HW.

[Spareribs in reply to topaz1]

Thank you Topaz1

[Summer64]

Just off to find mine

[Spareribs]

This was the email reply I received.....

"Hi

Thank you for taking the time to feedback to us about the provision of T3.

Your experience will be anonymised and added to information we use to feedback to those who provide and pay for health services with the aim of ensuring that patients and the public are at the heart of decisions about service delivery, improvement and change.

Kind Regards

"

I wonder who "those" are who "pay for health services" - hmm.....

[Rapunzel]

That'll be the government, then