1. Tell us how you feel about taking part in research for the NHS

    News -

    Have you ever taken part in NHS research – sometimes known as clinical research? Or perhaps you thought about it, but decided against it? To support the NHS in improving research, we want to find out why you may or may not choose to take part.

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

    News -

    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.

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

    News -

    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.

  4. Healthwatch General Meeting and Board Meeting in Public - 21st February 2023

    Report -

    Read more about our General Meeting where Board Members stood for re-election, and our Board Meeting where we discussed updates on our latest projects and the work ahead.

  5. We want to hear from people with learning disabilities

    News -

    If you are an adult with a learning disability, we want to hear from you.

  6. Customer Care Standard Policy and Process

    Report -

    This document sets out the expectations and standards for staff and volunteers of Healthwatch Hertfordshire when liaising with customers.

  7. NHS Talking Therapies

    Advice and Information -

    NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression is the new name for Improving Access to Psychological Therapy (IAPT) mental health services.

  8. Do you know about your heart health?

    News -

    Heart disease is one of the main causes of death and disability in the UK, so supporting people to manage and reduce their risk is essential. We want to find out how to help you improve your heart health.

  9. Cultural Competency Statement

    Report -

    This statement sets out our commitment to improving our awareness of race, ethnicity and culture and how we are addressing this in our behaviours and procedures.

  10. Views of parents of children and young people accessing local GP services heard in new survey

    Report -

    Local NHS leaders have reiterated their commitment to supporting patients and working to improve access to services with the publication of a Healthwatch report into access to general practice services for parents of children and young people.

  11. Parents and carers voice their concerns about accessing GP Practices

    News -

    Many parents and carers have faced serious problems trying to make GP appointments for their child, sometimes waiting more than an hour to speak to a receptionist, only to be told there are no appointments available.

  12. Views of Broxbourne residents accessing local GP services heard in new survey

    Report -

    Local NHS leaders have reiterated their commitment to supporting patients and working with them to improve access to general practice services in Broxbourne with the publication of a report by Healthwatch Hertfordshire.

  13. Become a Patient Volunteer for the South and West Hertfordshire Health and Care Partnership Co-production Board

    News -

    The South and West Hertfordshire Health and Care Partnership is looking for Patient Volunteers with an interest in health and wellbeing to join its Co-production Board. Find out how you can get involved.

  14. Complaints Policy

    Report -

    If you have a concern or complaint about Healthwatch Hertfordshire, please see details within our complaints policy on how to raise this with us.

  15. Improving Community Nursing in the East of England

    Report -

    To ensure community nursing meets the needs of East of England patients into the future, we worked with NHS England and local Healthwatch to find out what people thought about the service and how it could be improved.

  16. Cheaper HRT for women experiencing menopause symptoms

    News -

    Better access to hormone replacement therapy (HRT) will improve the lives of thousands of women in England who suffer from negative symptoms of the menopause.

  17. Managing Information & Privacy Policy

    Report -

    This document outlines the expected behaviours of staff, volunteers, and 3rd parties in adherence to UK data protection law. It also gives an overview of how we ensure information is shared with partner organisations in a legally compliant manner.

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

    News -

    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.

  19. Broxbourne residents struggle to access GPs

    News -

    A survey asking Broxbourne residents to tell us about local GP access has shown that 64% of respondents found it ‘difficult’ or ‘very difficult’ to get through to a receptionist by phone – with many waiting up to an hour.

  20. Research for All - Come Along to our Public Events

    News -

    Come and tell the NHS how research could be more inclusive and find out what progress has been made so far.

  21. Community Assembly – 19th May 2023

    Event -

  22. Let’s talk about the Menopause

    News -

    Every woman will go through the menopause, so it is important that primary care services know how they can best support women during this time. Share your views and help the NHS improve the support it offers.

  23. Healthwatch Board Meeting in Public - Tuesday 23rd May 2023

    Report -

    Read more about our May 2023 Board meeting in public. This time our Board members reviewed our contract monitoring return and looked back on our activity over the past year. We also had a speaker from the Ambulance Service to round off the meeting.

  24. Are you autistic? Share your views on GP services

    News -

    We want to make sure that autistic people are supported in their access and experience of GP services. If you’re autistic, we’d love to hear your thoughts about what your GP practice is doing well and where it could improve to better meet your needs.

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

    News -

    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.

  26. Community Assembly – 18th August 2023

    Event -

  27. Full funding for new local hospitals confirmed

    News -

    The Government has given the green light to build new hospitals in Watford and Harlow, confirming full funding for the much-needed projects.

  28. Healthwatch Board Annual General Meeting - 18th July 2023

    Event -

  29. Community Assembly: News and Update

    News -

    On 19th May 2023, we held our latest Community Assembly. If you weren’t able to join us, this article summarises some of the key discussions for you, and provides information about how to get involved next time.

  30. Fair access for care home visitors

    News -

    Thanks to our audit of care home websites and a visitor survey across the County, two new guides have been published to provide clarity about visiting since the pandemic.

  31. Healthwatch Board Annual General Meeting - 18th July 2023

    News -

    Announcing our next AGM, where we will be launching our major research report on the Cost of Living Crisis, and hearing a keynote speech from Professor Wendy Wills on ‘Health and care research in the county and across the region’.

  32. Your views are helping make NHS research more inclusive

    News -

    We have been helping the local NHS develop a more inclusive, accessible and effective approach to research activity. Find out what people have told us and what happens next.

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

    News -

    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.

  34. Tell us what you think about Voluntary and Community Services

    News -

    On behalf of Hertfordshire County Council, we want to find out what you think of local voluntary and community services.

  35. 9 in 10 Herts residents have been affected by Cost of Living

    News -

    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.

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

    News -

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

  37. Cost of Living Crisis: Impact on Hertfordshire Residents

    Report -

    In our latest report - Cost of Living Crisis: Impact on Hertfordshire Residents - more than 7000 local people shared many difficult stories of how they were being impacted by rising costs.

  38. Our Annual General Meeting 2023

    News -

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

  39. How informed are you about Type 2 Diabetes?

    News -

    Diagnoses of Type 2 Diabetes are growing at an alarming rate, so supporting people to reduce or manage their risk is essential. Whether you have been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes or not, we want to hear from you.

  40. What’s your Cervical Screening story?

    News -

    If you’ve been invited to a Cervical Screening, did you attend or was there something preventing you? If you’ve been before, what was your experience like? Please share your thoughts in our survey.

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

    Report -

    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.

  42. Healthwatch Board Meeting in Public - Tuesday 22nd August 2023

    Report -

    Read more about our August 2023 Board Meeting. This time our Board Members reflected on the achievements of the past year and discussed the plans ahead.

  43. Community Assembly – 24th November 2023

    Event -

  44. Find out about the vaccinations on offer this winter across Hertfordshire to protect people against flu and COVID-19

    Advice and Information -

    NHS England is moving forward the timetable for the autumn COVID-19 and flu vaccine rollouts.

  45. Community Assembly: News and Update

    News -

    The latest Community Assembly was held online, on 18th August 2023. If you weren’t able to join us, this article summarises some of the key discussions for you, and provides information about how to get involved next time.

  46. Decision-Making Policy

    Report -

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

  47. Supportive local pharmacies could do even more

    News -

    We celebrated World Pharmacist’s Day with the launch of our Views on Community Pharmacies Report, which showed 4 in 5 of those surveyed were satisfied with their local pharmacy and wanted them to offer even more services.

  48. Sexual Health – what do you need?

    News -

    Hertfordshire County Council want to make sure that everyone has easy access to the tests and treatments they need to reduce Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs). To help with this, we want to hear your thoughts and experiences in this survey.

  49. Values & Behaviours Policy

    Report -

    This policy sets out our values and provides an understanding of their application within the organisation.

  50. Many carers need greater support from their GPs

    News -

    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.