Healthwatch Gateshead and Healthwatch Newcastle Welcomes New Enter and View Officer, Nooshin Shabani
Healthwatch Gateshead and Healthwatch Newcastle are pleased to announce the appointment of Nooshin Shabani as its new Enter and View Officer. In this important role, Nooshin, from Hebburn, will lead on delivering the statutory duty of conducting Enter and View visits across health and social care services in Gateshead and Newcastle.
Enter and View visits allow Healthwatch to speak directly to service users in publicly funded health and social care services—such as care homes, GP surgeries, and hospitals—to gather first-hand accounts of their experiences. These visits are not inspections; rather, they are opportunities to listen to people and understand what’s working well and where improvements may be needed.
Before each visit, services are contacted to agree a suitable date. On the day, Nooshin and the team use a set of open, balanced questions such as:
“Can you describe a positive experience here?”
“Have you had any positive or negative experiences?”
“What improvements would you suggest?”
The feedback gathered is then compiled into a report, which is first shared with the service provider for comments. Once finalised, the report is published on the Healthwatch Gateshead or Healthwatch Newcastle website and shared with commissioners and relevant stakeholders to support service improvement.
Nooshin said:
“The best part of the job is getting out there and speaking directly with people who are using the services. Everyone has their own unique story and perspective. Listening to those voices helps us build an honest picture of what care looks like on the ground. It’s about learning from real experiences and helping to make things better.”
Yvonne Probert, CEO of Tell Us North, which manages Healthwatch Gateshead and Healthwatch Newcastle, welcomed Nooshin to the team:
“We’re delighted to have Nooshin join us. Her commitment to listening and understanding people’s lived experiences is exactly what Healthwatch is all about. Enter and View is a powerful tool that puts service users at the centre of improving care, and we’re confident Nooshin will bring great energy and integrity to the role.”
Healthwatch Gateshead and Healthwatch Newcastle look forward to continuing their work to amplify the voices of local people and improve health and social care services across the area.