News and reports | Healthwatch

Renewed efforts required to create compassionate complaints system

Our new report highlights the complexity of the process someone needs to follow to make a complaint about their health or social care service.

Using the views and experiences of patients and their families, have published our findings from our investigation into the utterly bewildering and largely ineffective complaints system in health and social care.

14 October 2014

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Our financial performance and position 2013/14

Find out about more about our financial performance and position for the financial year 2013/14.

13 October 2014

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More reassurance needed about how medical records are being used by government

We share our views on government plans to provide medical researchers and NHS managers with access to people’s personal medical records.

Our response to Department of Health Consultation: Protecting health & care information

Read our response to The Department of Health’s consultation on proposals to strengthen the controls on the use of an individuals health and care data.

Our response also includes issues that people have been sharing with local Healthwatch across the country about worries about the security of their data.

Bringing the voice of consumers to Parliament

Healthwatch from across England share their concerns in Westminster to make sure people can have their say about changes to health services in their area.

Healthwatch from across England share their concerns in Westminster to make sure people can have their say about changes to health services in their area.

10 September 2014

NHS complaints data is just ‘tip of the iceberg’

Our new analysis of complaints data shows that over half a million incidents of poor care across NHS went unreported in last two years

Our letter to NHS England about CCG public involvement

We have written to NHS England to assess to Clinical Commissioning Groups can involve local Healthwatch in changes to how health and care services are run.

Our letter to the Local Government Association about CCG public involvement

We have written to the Local Government Association to discuss how we can work together to ensure that Clinical Commissioning Groups involve the public in decision making processes.

Read the letter we sent.

Our response to CQC plans to introduce special measures scheme for GP practices

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has announced plans to introduce a new 'special measures' scheme for GP practices that will see those offering poor care being given deadlines to make improvements and facing closure if they fail.

The special measures scheme will be introduced from GP practices from October this year.

Our response to CQC special measures report

The Care Quality Commission has released a report into progress made at 11 NHS trusts that were put into special measures in July 2013.

The report, highlights the work by Monitor and the NHS Trusts Development Authority to support the 11 trusts in special measures.

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Our public Committee meeting July 2014 - supporting materials

Find out what happened at our public Committee Meeting.

Local people being cut out of decision making about their health services

The way decisions are made about local health services is changing. Early indications from local Healthwatch suggest that this is resulting in the public feeling less able to have their say.

We've heard from local Healthwatch across the country that Super CCGs are failing to involve their communities in major decisions about redesigning services - from hospitals and GP surgeries to dentists and care homes.