1. Every voice matters: Newcastle residents help transform local home care services

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    When home care services were due to be recommissioned in Newcastle, local Healthwatch went out to speak to people being looked after in their own homes to find out what they wanted.

  2. What do people think of dementia services?

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    With cases of dementia on the rise, it's more important than ever that services give people the support they need. Read our briefing to find out what people have told local Healthwatch about their experiences of care.

  3. Are people experiencing problems accessing social care support?

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    Concerns raised by the public indicate services need better information to ensure timely support to those in need.

  4. Exploring sexual health support in Southwark: schools and sexual health services

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    Young people in Southwark are calling for better education about sex and relationships and improvements to sexual health services.

  5. NHS wants to know if you find care information accessible

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    Since August 2016, NHS services have been required by law to ensure their communications are accessible to all. Six months on, NHS England wants to hear what difference the Accessible Information Standard has made to your experience.


  6. Making the most of the information you share with us

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    People share their experiences about health and care with Healthwatch every day. We spoke to our Intelligence Coordinator, Penny Manika to understand how the information you share with your local Healthwatch helps to change and improve services.

  7. Local people share their experiences of using gender identity services

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    Find out what people in Devon told their local Healthwatch about their experiences of using gender identity services.

  8. Exploring sexual health support in Southwark: pharmacies

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    Five ways pharmacies can improve sexual health support for young people.

  9. Why hospital discharge is everyone’s problem (and how new plans can help)

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    When discharge goes wrong, it comes at a cost to the NHS, to social care services, and to the individual. When it works, people are able to move on with their lives and recover safely.

  10. Four ways your views have helped make health and care accessible

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    We take a look at how people's experiences across England have already helped to challenge barriers and improve accessibility in health and care.

  11. Why are services changing?

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    Health and social care services are changing to become more efficient and better at providing the support that people want. If services are to get these changes right, it is important that they work with local people to give them a say in decisions.

  12. New NHS target aims to improve your experience of leaving hospital

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    The Government has published what it wants the NHS to deliver over the next 12 months, including a new target to reduce the delays people can face when leaving hospital.

  13. Helping Hertfordshire’s transgender community get the support they need

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    A survey conducted by charity Viewpoint found that there was just one support group for this community, that people wanted better information about the help available.

  14. Four ways GP practices can become dementia friendly

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    Find out how one local Healthwatch has been showing GP practices how small changes can make a big difference to patients’ experiences of visiting the doctor.

  15. What do people think of autism services for children and young people?

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    There are around half a million people in England on the autism spectrum.

  16. What inspires students to volunteer with us?

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    Volunteers’ Week is a chance to say a huge thank you to our 6,000+ amazing volunteers who help make a difference to health and care across the country.

  17. Shortlist announced ahead of Healthwatch Network Awards 2017

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    After reviewing over 150 entries, we are pleased to announce all of the finalists for the Healthwatch Network Awards 2017.

  18. Volunteer shares experiences of Asperger’s Syndrome to encourage young people to speak up

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    A 24-year-old woman in Dorset has been leading the charge in helping health and care services in the county understand the issues affecting young people.

  19. Parent secures changes to orthotics services by sharing her son’s experience

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    Speaking up about her son’s experience saw one woman help improve orthotics services for people across the country.

  20. Speaking up helps improve care for sheltered housing residents

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    A 96-year-old sheltered housing resident and manager have helped improve ambulance services in Dorset.

  21. Man with dementia leads improvements to care for people in Shropshire

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    A Shropshire man with dementia has been using his experiences to help improve support for local people with the disease.

  22. Healthwatch Network Award Winners 2017

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    The Healthwatch Network Awards recognise the ways in which Healthwatch across the country have helped make people’s views of health and social care services heard over the last 12 months. Take a look at our winners this year.

  23. New drive to improve social care complaints handling

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    Listening to feedback and learning from it is vital to improve quality of service. We have launched a new toolkit to help councils, care staff and services work together to build a positive culture around complaints and the opportunities to learn.

  24. Healthwatch help people in south London get support after leaving hospital

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    Being discharged from hospital isn’t just about going home – it’s about the care and support you receive afterwards too. Read about two local Healthwatch who have won an award for working together to help people in south London get what they need.

  25. What do men think of health and care services?

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    Local Healthwatch go on tour to see what men in the pubs and clubs of Blackburn with Darwen really think about health and care services.

  26. Let them eat rice cake?

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    Our National Director talks about the importance of everyone having their say on what should be available on prescription.

  27. Eight indicators of quality in care homes

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    Working with older people, their families and care experts, the charity Independent Age has developed a set of quality indicators which Healthwatch Camden helped test during their visits to local care homes.

  28. Life in a care home, what's it really like?

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    Between January 2016 and April 2017, local Healthwatch visited 197 care homes across 63 different local authority areas in England to find out what life is really like for people living in care homes. Our new report explains what we found.

  29. Helping residents in care homes to remain active

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    The quality of support offered in care homes has improved because residents spoke up about what they wanted.

  30. Student volunteers help research patient views

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    Thousands of volunteers give up their time to find out what people around the country think of health and care every year. Find out about one Healthwatch’s award-winning approach to recruiting volunteers.

  31. Islington resident helps make phoning social workers easier

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    Angela’s idea has helped make it easier for people in Islington to speak to their social worker on the phone.

  32. Home care services: What people told Healthwatch about their experiences

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    Over the last year, the number of local Healthwatch citing improvements to home care services as a priority for their community has doubled. Our new report explains what people have told Healthwatch about their experience of home care.

  33. Women and families who have lost babies speak up to support their peers

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    Women and families are getting the help they need after suffering the loss of a baby, thanks to support from people who have been through the same thing.

  34. Five things communities should expect from getting involved in NHS reforms

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    Across England changes are being made that aim to improve health and care for patients but what should your community expect when it comes to being involved in decisions that impact on local services.

  35. Have your say on which products should be available on prescription

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    The NHS wants to know which drugs and treatments you think should be made available on prescription.

  36. Local NHS commits to making changes after patients share their experiences of A&E

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    The number of people visiting A&E in 2016 increased by 5.3% to 23.57 million. To better understand why more people have been visiting A&E, Healthwatch Reading spoke to patients to find out about their experience.

  37. People share their experiences of being discharged from hospital

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    In our new briefing - What happens when people leave hospital and other care settings? – we share what over 2,000 people told local Healthwatch about their experiences of being discharged.

  38. NHS needs to do more to understand why people are returning to hospital after being discharged

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    New figures show that emergency readmissions to hospital have risen by a fifth since 2012/13. Find out more about what our new analysis of emergency readmissions data tells us.

  39. How a simple change helped make an A&E department more child-friendly

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    Small and simple changes can help make a big difference to people's experiences of health and social care. Find out how a hospital has helped make visits easier for children after one mum spoke up.

  40. Help shape the way we work

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    We need your views and ideas to make sure that health and social care services work better for everyone. Share your views and help shape our future strategy.

  41. Fewer hospital appointments missed thanks to one simple idea

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    Find out how one simple suggestion from deaf people in Dudley led to a better experience of visiting hospital.

  42. Tell us your views to help improve social care

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    With social care services under pressure, the Government has announced it will publish a Green Paper on social care next summer.

  43. Tired of explaining: the experiences of people with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

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    When Healthwatch Trafford spoke to people with ME and CFS, they found that over 76% felt their GP didn’t understand their condition. Find out how they think support could be improved.

  44. Four ways carers told us they can be better supported

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    Carers play a vital role in supporting people who are frail, ill or disabled, but, in doing so, they often become vulnerable themselves. Find out four ways carers want to be better supported.

  45. Council plans threaten future of Healthwatch Staffordshire

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    Proposals published by Staffordshire County Council could seriously damage the ability of local residents to have their say on the running of hospitals, GP surgeries and care homes across the county.

  46. How much funding has your Healthwatch received this year?

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    Find out how much funding your local Healthwatch receives to help you have your say on important health and social care issues.