1. Local people are telling us that they feel their race or ethnicity sometimes affects the quality of healthcare they receive. Do you feel the same?

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    Ethnic inequalities in healthcare mean not everyone receives equal treatment from the NHS. See what people are telling us below, and whether good or bad, share your experience to help make a difference.

  2. Breaking down barriers to cervical screening

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    Cervical cancer screening is currently at record lows in England, yet some women with physical disabilities who want this life-saving test are finding it hard to access screening.

  3. Take action this World Cancer Day

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    World Cancer Day, February 4, was an important chance to remind people to take action and help close the gap on health inequalities and save lives through early detection.

  4. Children's Mental Health Week, 7-13 February

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    To mark this year's Children's Mental Health Week, we compiled resources for children, parents and carers to help you grow together, as well as links to find further support and help if you need it.

  5. Joining up services in East and North Herts

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    A Community Assembly for the East and North Hertfordshire Health and Care Partnership has recently been formed and provides a new opportunity for patient and community voices to be heard.

  6. Putting the voices of children and families first

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    By putting their voices at the centre of our work, we ensured children and families living in Stevenage could share their wants and needs for local health and wellbeing.

  7. Working with Local Councillors and Community Groups to Tackle Ethnic Health Inequalities

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    Find out how we helped local councillors shine a light on ethnic health inequalities and how services plan to improve health outcomes for ethnically diverse communities living in Hertfordshire.

  8. Young Carers call for support, not sympathy

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    Young Carers, who look after family or friends, have said that having the right support – such as regular short breaks from caring – is one of the best ways to help them.

  9. Help shape local services for low mood and depression

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    Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) wants to hear about your experiences of low mood, sadness or depression so it can provide better support for people now, and in the future.

  10. Creating a world that works for Autistic people

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    April is World Autism Month and the focus this year is increasing understanding and acceptance of people with autism, to create a world where people with autism can reach their full potential.

  11. Don’t be embarrassed – simple checks save lives

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    April is Testicular Cancer Awareness month. In the United Kingdom, testicular cancer is the most common cancer amongst males aged between 15 and 35.

  12. Never too young for bowel cancer

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    Every 15 minutes somebody is diagnosed with bowel cancer in the UK - that's nearly 43,000 people each year – according to figures from Bowel Cancer UK.

  13. Consultation on the Hertfordshire Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment 2022

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    The government requires all health and wellbeing boards to produce an assessment of pharmaceutical services in its area, at least every three years.

  14. Care Home Visiting Beyond the Pandemic: share your experiences

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    Do you find your care home visiting arrangements flexible and supportive? Share your experiences of visiting so that we can help care homes to ensure that visits are safe, as well as meaningful, for you.

  15. What you've been telling us about local services

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    Problems with accessing GP surgeries, waits for hospital appointments and care home visiting rules are some of the top concerns you've been sharing with us over the past six months through our Signposting service.

  16. So you're a carer - who looks after you?

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    This Carers Week, from 6-12 June 2022, we are helping highlight the challenges faced by unpaid carers and helping those who don't even realise they are carers to access much-needed support.

  17. MacMillan Cancer Support - Helping those living with and affected by cancer

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    MacMillan has appointed a local Engagement Lead to support those living with cancer in Hertfordshire. If you or someone you care about has been diagnosed with cancer, they can help to do whatever it takes to help them live life as fully as they can.

  18. Diabetes Week 2022

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    Organised by Diabetes UK, 13–19 June is Diabetes Week 2022, which aims to raise awareness, provide support and encourage people to share their experience of living with diabetes.

  19. What is Monkeypox?

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    As you will have heard in the news, monkeypox is a rare viral infection and the risk to the UK population is low.

  20. Armed Forces Day 2022 - How are services supporting our local veterans?

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    Armed Forces Day on Saturday 25th gives us an opportunity to reflect on what has been achieved in the last year to improve access to healthcare for local veterans.

  21. Healthwatch Hertfordshire welcomes new NHS structure

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    Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care System (ICS) today becomes a statutory body, creating new opportunities to feed people’s views into the planning and running of local services – especially the voices of those not being heard now.

  22. Healthwatch Hertfordshire – Annual General Meeting 19 July 2022

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    Every year our AGM gives an opportunity to reflect and celebrate our achievements.

  23. Joining up services in East and North Herts – One year on

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    It's nearly a year since we launched a Community Assembly for the East and North Herts Health and Care Partnership (ENHHCP) with our first meeting in September 2021. Find out more about our work so far.

  24. Are you a parent or carer? Share your experience of accessing your GP for your child or the young person you care for

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    Are you a parent or carer for someone under the age of 18? Share your experience of accessing your GP for the child or the young person you care for so we can work with NHS leaders to improve GP practices across Hertfordshire.

  25. Live in the Borough of Broxbourne? Share your experiences of accessing your GP

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    Do you live in the Borough of Broxbourne? Share your views and experiences of accessing your GP so we can work with NHS leaders to improve GP practices in the local area.

  26. Tackling mental health and substance misuse together

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    If you need support with drugs or alcohol and your mental health, read on to find out how you can access help.

  27. Have you, or someone you care for, used Community Nursing services? We want to hear your views

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    Have you, or someone you care for, ever used Community Nursing services? We are working with other local Healthwatch and NHS England to ensure Community Nursing is working well for patients and carers.

  28. Local healthcare needs to tackle discrimination, say Black and Asian communities

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    Our ground-breaking Hertfordshire research has found that up to 45 per cent of Black and Asian respondents felt they had been discriminated against in a healthcare setting, with many believing this was because of their ethnicity.

  29. Healthwatch Hertfordshire Supports Black History Month

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    October is Black History Month and at Healthwatch Hertfordshire we are committed to this year's theme - Time for Change: Actions Not Words.

  30. Want to be a Patient Safety Partner?

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    Our Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board is recruiting Patient Safety Partners who will influence and improve safety within our local NHS. Find out more information and how you can apply for this role.

  31. What do you think about your local pharmacy?

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    Pharmacies are often the easiest and quickest way to access non-urgent health care and advice in England. But what do you think about the pharmacy services in your area? To help local pharmacies better support you, we want to hear your views.

  32. Honour veteran patients by encouraging your GP to become veteran-friendly

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    GP practices who wish to honour veterans for their service this Remembrance Day are being encouraged to apply for the RCGP's veteran-friendly accreditation.

  33. If you care for someone who couldn’t manage without you, do you get enough GP support yourself?

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    As a carer, we want to know if your GP practice is supporting you and what they do to help you.

  34. Feeling Good Week 2023 - Applications are open!

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    Feeling Good Week is a Hertfordshire-wide event that encourages schools and the wider community to promote children and young people’s emotional wellbeing by raising awareness of mental health and showing where help can be found within communities.

  35. What do you think of our services?

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    Those who commission our work would like to hear from people who have used our services.

  36. How worried are you about the Cost of Living crisis?

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    Rising bills, food, and the general Cost of Living is hitting people hard. We are working with Hertfordshire County Council to understand what impact this is having, so we can better help you cope during the winter and beyond.

  37. Group A Strep - What you need to know

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    Group A streptococcus is a common bacteria that can cause a number of infections, some mild and some more serious. The vast majority are relatively mild, such as throat infections and impetigo.

  38. What do I do if I’m unwell or need help over the festive period?

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    It can be difficult to know who to contact and what to do if you are unwell or struggling at this time of year. Here you’ll find a list of services and when best to contact them.