1. Getting an appointment with a GP is a major concern

    Response -

    1 in 4 face difficulty booking an appointment on the phone according to new GP patient survey results.

  2. Our response to new draft guidance on safe staffing levels in A&E

    Response -

    NICE has outlined new draft guidance to help A&E departments ensure there are enough nursing staff available to provide safe care at all times to patients.

  3. Staff should work closely with patients all the time, not just at Christmas

    Response -

    New statistics released by NHS England show a decrease in delayed hospital discharge over the festive period.

  4. Our response to 'Culture change in the NHS' report

    Response -

    The Department of Health has released a report which sets out the progress made in applying the lessons learned from the failings at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust.

  5. Disabled people struggling to access GP appointments

    News -

    Most people say they are satisfied with their GP but research from our network suggests that there are significant issues of concern for some groups of people, particularly for those with hearing, visual and mobility problems.

  6. What help do you need to look after your health in the future?

    Report -

    By analysing over 11,000 conversations the Healthwatch network has had with the public about this issue, we found five common areas where people wanted to see improvement.

  7. New NICE draft guidance on safe midwifery staffing levels

    Response -

    New guidance to help hospitals ensure that there are the right number of midwifery staff to provide care for women and their babies.

  8. Primary Care: A review of local Healthwatch reports

    Report -

    Find out what we found when our network spoke to more than 11,000 people and visited over 550 GP surgeries, pharmacies and opticians across the country.

  9. Delayed discharge figures have risen steadily over the past 12 months

    Response -

    Latest statistics show a steady increase in delayed discharge from hospital settings over 12 months.

  10. Our response to ‘A very general practice’; the Citizens Advice report on non-health visits to GPs

    Response -

    New report states GPs spend almost a fifth of their consultation time dealing with non-health issues, such as personal relationship problems, housing and unemployment.

  11. Our response to the CQC's inpatient survey

    Response -

    Findings from CQC’s survey show that too many people are experiencing delays in leaving hospital.

  12. Our response to Monitor's GP report and patients survey

    Response -

    A third of people are dissatisfied with availability of appointments at their GP and almost half struggle to book an out of hours appointment according to a review by Monitor. Read our response.

  13. Safely home: People's experiences of leaving care

    News -

    With the help of 101 local Healthwatch, we heard from over 3,000 people who shared their stories with us about their experiences of the discharge process.

  14. Major issues with GP access being tackled in Derby

    News -

    Many people in Derby face significant issues accessing GPs. Healthwatch Derby City listened to people views and called for change.

  15. Getting hospital discharge right would stop suffering and save millions of pounds

    News -

    Our new report brings together 3,230 stories gathered by 101 local Healthwatch from across the country, revealing the human and financial cost of getting the discharge process wrong.

  16. Safely Home - what happens when people leave hospital and care settings

    Report -

    With the help of 101 local Healthwatch, we heard from over 3,000 people who shared their stories with us about their experiences of the discharge process.

  17. Putting the focus back on patients

    News -

    Read a letter from our Chair Anna Bradley to the Times newspaper expressing her concerns regarding the need to champion patient voice.

  18. Use of discharge checklists - Freedom of information request results

    Report -

    As part of our research into unsafe discharge from hospital and care settings we conducted a Freedom of Information Request in May 2015 of 164 hospital trusts.

  19. Addressing GP access issues for people in Hertfordshire

    News -

    Patients struggling to access GP services helped by Healthwatch Hertfordshire

  20. Involving local people in improving disability access

    News -

    Find out what happened when one Healthwatch Bolton worked with their local hospital to improve access for people with disabilities.

  21. GP surgeries updating good practice in registering new patients thanks to local Healthwatch

    News -

    Almost all GP practices in Southampton routinely ask for proof of identity, potentially denying many people access to care in Southampton.

  22. Our response to NHS Providers report 'Right place, right time'

    Response -

    New report outlines practical approaches to tackle the cause of delayed transfers of care.

  23. Our response to the National Audit Office report on GP access

    Response -

    New report finds that while patient satisfaction with access to General Practice remains high, it is declining.

  24. People's experiences of primary care

    News -

    Accessing GP services is a key concern people share with their local Healthwatch. Here are some of the issues people from different communities face.

  25. Perspectives on primary care part 1: Mothers of young children

    News -

    Being able to access primary care services is a key concern that the public have raised with local Healthwatch. Our first in a series of blogs focuses on what one group of mothers in Southend-on-Sea told us.

  26. What help do you need to look after your health in the future?

    News -

    Read our new report on how people want to play a bigger role in looking after their own health and care and what would support them to do that.

  27. Keeping people in hospital too long will over-burden health service this winter

    Response -

    Latest statistics show a notable increase in delayed discharge from hospital settings over 12 months. Read our response.

  28. People's experiences of primary care

    Report -

    Most people when surveyed say that they are satisfied with the care they get from primary care services, but this does not tell the full story.

  29. Would you use a pharmacist instead of visiting your GP for advice?

    News -

    One in three people said yes when asked this question in a recent England wide poll. We spoke to Healthwatch Cornwall to find out more about changing attitudes to pharmacy services.