1. Feeling Good Week 2021 – Get Involved!

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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.

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

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    During the first lockdown, we celebrated the NHS and others who put their own health at risk to deliver what services they could. However, there have been challenges and concerns raised about how patients have been affected.

  3. Feeling Good Week – February 2020

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    Feeling Good Week is a Hertfordshire-wide event to encourage schools and the wider community to promote children and young people’s emotional wellbeing by raising awareness of mental health and showing where support can be accessed in the community.

  4. Members of the public needed for Public and Community Involvement, Engagement and Participation Coordinating Group

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    The National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) are seeking three members who represent patients, service users, carers and the public to become part of a Public and Community Involvement, Engagement and Participation Coordinating Group (PCEIP).

  5. Important Report on Dual Diagnosis published

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    We have just published our report on Dual Diagnosis, which originated in 2016. The primary focus being to ensure the service user and carer experience fed into the Dual Diagnosis pathway and protocol (now developed).

  6. Carers’ Involvement: Mental Health Inpatient Discharge – Advisory Group

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    Healthwatch Hertfordshire is working with Hertfordshire University Partnership Trust (HPFT) to research how carers are involved and supported when the person they care for has been discharged from inpatient mental health services.

  7. Spot the Signs campaign launches free life-saving App

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    A free life-saving App called “Stay Alive” which is packed with really useful features to help people stay mentally well has been launched in Hertfordshire.

  8. HPFT Rated ‘Outstanding’

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    Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) have received an ‘Outstanding’ rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

  9. Upcoming Mental Health Project

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    We will be launching a new project looking at inpatient mental health discharge soon.

  10. National Survey highlights decline in people’s experiences of community mental health services

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    People’s experiences of the care they receive from community-based mental health services have continued to deteriorate, according to an annual survey from the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

  11. Feeling Good Week 2019

    News -

    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 community support can be accessed.

  12. Mental Health Service Watch Group

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    Our work on Mental Health remains a Healthwatch Hertfordshire priority, but following much discussion and a consultation, our Mental health Service Watch group has decided that there are more effective ways of engaging on the subject.

  13. HCT Step2 wants to hear from children and young people

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    Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust (HCT) Step2 Early Intervention wants to hear from children and young people about their information leaflet on self harm.

  14. Carers Call for Action

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    Carers of people who have used psychiatric inpatient services called for more support for both themselves and the person they care for.

  15. What's the point? Nothing ever changes

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    You might think your feedback doesn’t make a difference to how health and social care services are run. We want to show you that it does.

  16. Feeling Good Week 2022 - Applications open!

    News -

    Feeling Good Week is a Hertfordshire-wide event encouraging 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 accessed within the community.

  17. Do you think you get the healthcare you deserve, regardless of race or ethnicity? Share your views and experiences

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    Everybody is entitled to access equal and fair treatment from the NHS. But current ethnic inequalities in healthcare mean this is not always the case.

  18. Healthwatch Hertfordshire has begun work to help end race and ethnic inequalities in local healthcare

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    We have just launched a new project working with local communities and NHS services to improve equality and inclusiveness within the NHS.

  19. What do I do if I’m unwell 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 during the festive period. Here you’ll find a list of services and when best to contact them.

  20. 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.

  21. 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.

  22. 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.

  23. 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.

  24. 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.

  25. 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.

  26. 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.

  27. 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.

  28. 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.

  29. 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.

  30. 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.

  31. 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.

  32. 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.

  33. Feeling Good Week 2023 - Applications are open!

    News -

    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.

  34. 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.

  35. Do you need support with the Cost of Living or help keeping warm this winter?

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    Across Hertfordshire, there are a range of services that can help with financial pressures, paying bills, providing food, family concerns, care of older people and more.

  36. The rising Cost of Living is hitting Hertfordshire residents hard - here’s what you’ve told us.

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    Hertfordshire residents say they are using less heating, eating fewer meals and becoming increasingly worried, according to early findings from our Cost of Living survey.

  37. Hertfordshire Trust first with new app for victims of domestic abuse

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    Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) is the first NHS Trust in England to launch a domestic abuse app, which will enable staff to quickly refer victims of domestic abuse for free support and legal advice.

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

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    Access to GPs and dentists, along with issues relating to hospitals and mental health care, are the top concerns you've been sharing with us over the past six months through our Signposting service.

  39. Listening to you helped us improve local health and care - our Annual Report 2022/23

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    In our Annual Report 2022/23, read how we made care fairer, tackled the big issues facing local patients and involved communities in our work to ensure the best outcomes for everyone.

  40. 9 in 10 Herts residents have been affected by Cost of Living

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    Our latest report - Cost of Living Crisis: The Impact on Hertfordshire Residents - reveals 6500 residents who responded to our survey have felt the impact of rising costs.

  41. Specific groups in Hertfordshire have been disproportionately affected by the Cost of Living Crisis

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    Our report - Cost of Living Crisis: The Impact on Hertfordshire Residents - found that certain sectors of society have been disproportionately impacted by rising costs.

  42. Many carers need greater support from their GPs

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    GP practices are a crucial contact point for carers - and the people they care for - yet our recent research showed some local carers often felt alone, unsupported and had to put their own needs aside.

  43. Calls for Autism Health Checks across Hertfordshire

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    Autism Health Checks are being piloted in Hertfordshire and our latest research shows strong support to extend the programme County-wide, improving healthcare for those who may find it challenging to access GPs.

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

    News -

    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 that can help and when best to contact them.

  45. Cost of Living Crisis: The Impact of our Research

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    As a direct result of our Cost of Living research, local mental health services have teamed up with Hertfordshire County Council’s Money Advice Unit to provide help for those struggling financially and emotionally.

  46. Cost of Living Research Shortlisted for National Award

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    Healthwatch Hertfordshire has been shortlisted for a national award for its Cost of Living research, which has led to local mental health services teaming up with money advice specialists to help those struggling both financially and emotionally.

  47. Cost of Living Research receives National Accolade

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    Healthwatch Hertfordshire has been commended nationally for its Cost of Living research, which led to local mental health services teaming up with money advice specialists to help those struggling both financially and emotionally.

  48. Herts Trusts achieve Veteran Aware accreditation

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    Two Hertfordshire NHS Trusts have earned Veteran Aware accreditation, recognising their expertise in addressing the needs of the Armed Forces Community when providing community-based healthcare services.