Healthwatch Dorset has announced several new projects to help make health and care better for local people.

The new Healthwatch projects will address the impact of coronavirus and look into issues raised by local people, while also reflecting national and local priorities in health and social care.

These projects will focus on accessing local health and care services during the coronavirus pandemic, children and adolescent mental health services, primary care services, transport to health and social care services, and accident and emergency care.

The aim is to find out what works well for local people and what they think could be improved. This public feedback will then be shared with those in charge of delivering health and care in Dorset with recommendations to help improve services for local people.

Vivienne Aird, Chair of the Healthwatch Dorset local Board, said: "Health and care services are more effective when they reflect and respond to the views and needs of local people.

"Our new projects will investigate the impact of coronavirus along with common themes that we have identified from public feedback received during the previous year.

"We have consulted widely to ensure that our work also feeds into national and local NHS and social care priorities.

"This approach will ensure that we are able to influence positive change and make a real difference for local people."

Healthwatch Dorset is the county’s independent health and care champion. It exists to make sure that local people’s views are heard by those in charge of health and care social care and used to help make services better.

Healthwatch Dorset Manager, Louise Bate, said: "We will launch our projects throughout the year, starting with our new online survey to find out how this virus outbreak may be changing the way in which you access local services, particularly if you rely on them for regular care.

"Social distancing means we will need to be creative about the way we reach people, but there are plenty of other ways people can share their experiences with us through online surveys, social media and over the phone, and we will be working hard to reach out and listen."

The survey can be accessed on the Healthwatch Dorset website.