1. Healthwatch Board Meeting in Public - 25th August 2020

    Report -

    Read more about our August 2020 Board meeting in public. Our Board members reviewed and signed off our new Strategy for 2020 – 24 and looked at the highlights of our achievements based on information from contract monitoring returns in 2019-20.

  2. Healthwatch Board Meeting in Public - 17th November 2020

    Report -

    Read more about our November 2020 Board meeting in public. Our Board members reviewed and signed off a new Decision Making Procedure and agreed the dates of their public Board meetings taking place in 2021.

  3. Decision-Making Policy

    Report -

    This policy explains how Healthwatch Hertfordshire makes its decisions in a fair and transparent way.

  4. Visits to Care Homes in Hertfordshire - Phase 1

    Report -

    The reports from 12 care homes we visited using our legal power to Enter and View.

  5. Visits to Care Homes in Hertfordshire - Phase 2

    Report -

    The reports from 8 care homes we visited using our legal power to Enter and View.

  6. Visits to Care Homes in Hertfordshire - Phase 3

    Report -

    The reports from 9 care homes we visited using our legal power to Enter and View.

  7. Westgate House Care Centre Visits

    Report -

    The reports from our visits to Westgate Care Centre, Ware as requested by Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) and East and North Hertfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (ENHCCG).

  8. Gold Care Homes Ltd Care Home Visits Summary Report

    Report -

    The summary report from our visits to Halcyon Days Care Home, Autumn Vale Care Centre and Heath Lodge Care Home run by Gold Care Homes Ltd following our rolling programme of care home visits.

  9. Enter & View Policy and Procedure

    Report -

    This policy and procedure outlines: what Enter & View is, how Healthwatch Hertfordshire plans its visits, and how Authorised Representatives should conduct the visit. It also includes information on our statutory powers to do this.

  10. Healthwatch Hertfordshire’s Annual Report 2013/14

    Report -

    This Annual Report provides an outline of our work and the impact it has had over the past year. It also looks to the future, outlining key priorities and planned activities for the year ahead.

  11. Healthwatch Hertfordshire’s Annual Report 2014/15

    Report -

    It is important that more people in Hertfordshire know who we are and what we do and how to contact us. Read about the work that we have been doing this year to promote this across the County.

  12. Healthwatch Hertfordshire’s Annual Report 2015/16

    Report -

    Ensuring that the voices of patients and service users are heard is a fundamental activity. Find out more about what we have been doing over the past year to represent and champion patients and the public in Hertfordshire.

  13. Healthwatch Hertfordshire – Our Annual Report for 2016/17

    Report -

    Read about who we are, what we do and what we have achieved in this year’s Annual Report.

  14. Healthwatch Hertfordshire - Our Annual Report for 2017/18

    Report -

    It is Annual Report time, and a chance to reflect on another positive and achieving year. This report portrays an exciting picture of the wide range of activities and achievements over the last 12 months.

  15. Your Voice - Our Annual Report for 2018/19

    Report -

    Our Annual Report looks back at what Healthwatch Hertfordshire has achieved over the past year. 2018 was the 70th anniversary of the NHS – marked by celebratory events, speeches and more importantly a boost to funding.

  16. Helping to shape and Improve Health and Social Care Services in Hertfordshire – Our Annual Report for 2019/20

    Report -

    Read about the work that we have been doing over the past year to hear the patient voice in Hertfordshire and to recommend improvements to health and social care services.

  17. Visits to dental practices in the Welwyn and Hatfield District

    Report -

    The reports from 7 dental practices we visited using our legal power to Enter and View.

  18. Visits to dental practices in the St Albans and Harpenden District

    Report -

    The reports from 7 dental practices we visited using our legal power to Enter and View.

  19. Visits to dental practices in the East Hertfordshire District

    Report -

    The reports from 6 dental practices we visited using our legal power to Enter and View.

  20. Visits to dental practices in the Stevenage District

    Report -

    The reports from 4 dental practices we visited using our legal power to Enter and View.

  21. Visits to dental practices in the Watford District

    Report -

    The reports from 4 dental practices we visited using our legal power to Enter and View.

  22. Visits to St Albans City and Watford Hospitals, West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust

    Report -

    The report from our visits to Accident and Emergency, Minor Injuries, wards and Outpatients at St Albans City and Watford Hospitals using our legal power to Enter and View.

  23. Visit to St Albans City Hospital, West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust

    Report -

    The report from our visit to Minor Injuries, Beckett ward and Outpatients at St Albans City Hospital using our legal power to Enter and View.

  24. Visits to Lister and New QEII Hospitals, East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust

    Report -

    The reports from our visits to Accident and Emergency, Outpatients and Urgent Care Centre at the Lister and NQEII Hospitals using our legal power to Enter and View.

  25. Visit to Ernest Gardiner Treatment Centre, Letchworth Garden City

    Report -

    The report from our visit to the Ernest Gardiner Treatment Centre using our legal power to Enter and View.

  26. Improving Supported Living Services Across Hertfordshire

    Report -

    We helped Hertfordshire County Council find out what people using supported living services wanted, so that their needs could be better met by providers. Read our report to hear what they had to say and how their voices influenced future guidelines.

  27. Involving the Public in the Long Term Plan

    Report -

    When the NHS launched its ambitious long-term plan in 2019, we asked you what you thought local priorities should be. Thanks to your feedback, the NHS should now have a stronger focus on involving the public in changes to community & health services.

  28. Visit to The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust, Harlow

    Report -

    The report from our visits to Penn ward, Ray ward and Kingsmoor Emergency Assessment Unit at The Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow using our legal power to Enter and View.

  29. Covid-19 Patient Experiences – What can Hertfordshire learn?

    Report -

    Our report on people's experiences of health, social care and community support during the pandemic is published today. It contains the views of more than 660 Hertfordshire residents. Find out what people told us.

  30. Public Attitudes Towards the Sharing of Health and Care Information

    Report -

    Through our involvement with the Information Sharing work stream of the Better Care Fund Programme, we worked with colleagues from health & social care to better understand people’s views on the way health information is collected, recorded & shared.

  31. Report into Complaints Handling at West Herts Hospital Trust

    Report -

    We worked with West Herts Hospital Trust to review the quality of their final response letters to complainants. Complainants are people who have made a complaint to Trust about the care or treatment they received. Read about what we found here.

  32. Report into Complaints Handling at West Herts Hospital Trust 2018

    Report -

    West Herts Hospital Trust asked us to repeat a qualitative review of their final response letters to complainants. This was to assess what improvements had been in response to our previous recommendations. Read more here.

  33. Healthwatch Board Meeting in Public - 23rd February 2021

    Report -

    Read more about our February 2021 Board meeting in public. Our Board members discussed the Trustee Term of Office and our health and social care committee representation.

  34. Patient Led Assessment of the Care Environment (PLACE) 2014

    Report -

    Read about Healthwatch Hertfordshire’s experience of participating in PLACE audits with 5 NHS Trusts and their recommendations to the Trusts to improve the process for patient assessors.

  35. Patient Led Assessment of the Care Environment (PLACE) 2015

    Report -

    Read about Healthwatch Hertfordshire’s experience of participating in PLACE audits with 6 NHS Trusts and their recommendations to the Trusts to improve the process for patient assessors.

  36. Patient Led Assessment of the Care Environment (PLACE) 2016

    Report -

    Read about Healthwatch Hertfordshire’s experience of participating in PLACE audits with 6 NHS Trusts and their recommendations to the Trusts to improve the process for patient assessors.

  37. Hertswise Mystery Shop Exercise 2018

    Report -

    What’s it like when you need to find information and support for your loved one with dementia? Take a look at our findings.

  38. GP Website Audit – Finding information during COVID-19

    Report -

    Are GP websites providing up to date information on COVID-19 and is there accessible and available advice for cancer patients, particularly at a time when it is likely that there would be an increase in patients accessing websites for information?

  39. Dual Diagnosis: Raising Concerns Related to Mental Health and Substance Misuse

    Report -

    We worked with service users, carers, voluntary organisations, and service providers to improve the experience of treatment when someone is diagnosed with a dual diagnosis of mental health issues and substance misuse. Read more here.

  40. Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service (NEPTs) Patient Experience Survey

    Report -

    We carried out a short survey to understand service user experiences of Non-Emergency Patient Transport, provided by the East of England Ambulance Service in Hertfordshire. Find out what people told us here.

  41. Digital Exclusion Case Studies: Covid-19 Patient Experience

    Report -

    We spoke to people who are digitally excluded to find out their reasons for not being online, and how this has affected their experiences during the coronavirus pandemic.

  42. Experiences of Annual Health Checks: Voices from the Learning Disability Community

    Report -

    Annual Health Checks for people with learning disabilities were being missed, or not done properly by local GP’s. This is how we helped.

  43. Accessing Dental Services in Hertfordshire 2016

    Report -

    We were asked to support a local Oral Health Needs Assessment on 'Access to Primary Care Dental Services'. Find out what local residents had to say about their experiences of dental services.

  44. Improving the Patient Experience of Making an NHS Complaint

    Report -

    In response to local feedback about complaints processes, as well as Healthwatch England's report 'Suffering in Silence', we launched our own research into how complaints handling works locally, and what could be improved.

  45. Accessing GP Services: Stort Valley & Villages Locality 2014

    Report -

    Working with Councillors, Commissioners, GP Practices and patients, we looked into issues surrounding access problems, and made recommendations designed to have an instant, positive impact on the way services are delivered. Read more here.

  46. Stockwell Lodge Medical Centre - Helping to Improve Access and The Patient Experience

    Report -

    Following a recent inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) which rated Stockwell Lodge Medical Centre as ‘inadequate’, we were asked by NHS commissioners to work with them and the Practice to help improve its rating and service.

  47. Access to NHS Dental Services in Hertfordshire. Summary of Enter and View Programme 2017-2019: Findings and Self Audit Checklist

    Report -

    What do dental practices need to do to make them accessible for their patients?

  48. Looking Ahead: Our Strategy 2020 - 2024

    Report -

    This is the second strategy for Healthwatch Hertfordshire enabling us to look back to our beginnings in 2013 and plan for our future from 2020 onwards.