1. Do you need help travelling to NHS services?

    Advice and Information -

    Find out what support is available to help you when travelling to your GP, hospital or other NHS services.

  2. Should I see a pharmacist instead of a doctor?

    Advice and Information -

    ​​​​​​​Avoid the wait at the GP and know when to visit your pharmacist instead. Look at how your pharmacist can help you.

  3. Hertfordshire County Council Survey: Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment 2020

    News -

    Please read more to find out how you can have an impact on the way pharmaceutical services are commissioned in Hertfordshire in the future.

  4. Consultation: Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment 2018

    News -

    Hertfordshire County Council have asked us to let you know about a current consultation: The Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment 2018.

  5. Staying Well This Winter

    Advice and Information -

    Our local NHS services are here to help you stay well, safely. Do not delay getting help for your health this winter.

  6. Covid-19 safety measures stay in place at healthcare settings

    Advice and Information -

    Official message from NHS England - Anyone using or visiting healthcare settings must continue to wear a face covering and stick to social distancing rules.

  7. What do I do if I’m unwell over the festive period?

    News -

    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.

  8. Consultation on the Hertfordshire Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment 2022

    News -

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

  9. What do you think about your local pharmacy?

    News -

    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.

  10. How does the NHS in England work and how is it changing?

    Advice and Information -

    Big changes have been happening across England's health and care system.

  11. What do 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 and when best to contact them.

  12. 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.

  13. 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.

  14. 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.

  15. 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.

  16. 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.

  17. Do you need help getting to hospital?

    Advice and Information -

    Find out what support is available to help you travel to your hospital appointments.

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

    News -

    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.

  19. What can you expect when you’re discharged from hospital?

    Advice and Information -

    The usual processes the NHS follows to discharge you from hospital have changed during the coronavirus pandemic. Here’s what you can expect when it’s time to leave hospital.

  20. Helping to shape and improve Health and Social Care Services in Hertfordshire

    News -

    Our Annual Report 2019/20 is now published online. The report details the work that we have been doing over the past year to help the patient voice in Hertfordshire and to recommend improvements to health and social care services.

  21. Preventing infection in hospitals

    Advice and Information -

    From Monday 15th June in line with Government recommendations, outpatients and visitors attending hospital must wear a face covering at all times to help prevent the spread of injection and keep everyone safe.

  22. Those with serious conditions should still seek help

    Advice and Information -

    Data has shown that the number of people going to A&E has dropped, prompting concerns that the seriously ill may be staying away because of concerns about catching coronavirus, or not wanting to place additional burden on the NHS.

  23. Advice for parents during coronavirus

    Advice and Information -

    Whilst it is extremely important to follow Government advice to stay at home during this period, it can be confusing to know what to do if your child is unwell or injured. Parents should not delay seeking help or advice.

  24. Essential NHS Services remain available to everyone who needs them

    Advice and Information -

    In line with government guidelines, the vast majority of the public in Hertfordshire are protecting themselves and others from coronavirus by staying at home.

  25. Changes to outpatient activity made in response to Coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak

    Advice and Information -

    Due to the Coronavirus outbreak, there have been local changes to the NHS provision of non-essential outpatient appointments.

  26. Restrictions to visitation made until further notice due to the Coronavirus outbreak

    Advice and Information -

    Following national guidance, there have been restrictions placed on most hospital visitation.

  27. 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.

  28. 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.

  29. 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.

  30. Hertfordshire NHS Under Pressure

    News -

    Health services across Hertfordshire are experiencing major pressures this week. Accident and Emergency departments, the ambulance service, GP practices and community health services are all being stretched by the number of people calling for help.

  31. Big Changes to Adult Community Care

    News -

    Herts Valleys Clinical Commissioning Group, who cover the Three Rivers, Decorum, Watford, St Albans, and Hertsmere areas, have awarded the adult community health care contract to Central London Community Health Care Trust.

  32. Changes to hospital discharge in response to Coronavirus

    Advice and Information -

    The Coronavirus outbreak is placing huge press on our local hospitals. So that they can look after patients with acute needs, hospitals are changing the way patients are discharged

  33. Patients with Minor Injuries and Illnesses no longer treated at Lister Hospital as NHS Trust plans ahead

    Advice and Information -

    The Coronavirus outbreak is placing huge pressure on our local hospitals. So that they can look after patients with acute needs, hospitals are changing the way patients are discharged.

  34. Enter and View: Lister Hospital

    News -

    Another day, another fantastic Enter & View visit. On Wednesday the 7th March a team of Enter and View volunteers were at the Lister Hospital checking out patient experience.

  35. Enter & View: Princess Alexandra Hospital

    News -

    Our Enter and View volunteers also known as Authorised Representatives have been busy doing visits at the Princess Alexandra (PAH) Hospital in Harlow this month.

  36. NHS 111 First

    Advice and Information -

    To keep urgent NHS services safe and to make sure that they are available for everyone who needs them, an appointment system for urgent and emergency care is being introduced across the country from 1 December.

  37. Temporary change to opening hours for New QEII Hospital Urgent Care Centre due to COVID-19 pandemic

    Advice and Information -

    From today onwards (Monday 11 January), the New QEII Hospital Urgent Care Centre for minor illnesses and injuries in Welwyn Garden City will close its doors to new patients at 10pm every day. It will reopen at 8am every morning.

  38. 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.

  39. 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.

  40. 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.

  41. 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.

  42. 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.

  43. 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.

  44. Meg Carter: Volunteer Interview

    Blog -

    Meg is a Trustee on the Healthwatch Hertfordshire Board.

  45. 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.

  46. 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.

  47. 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.

  48. 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.

  49. Survey launched to gain views on end of life care in East and North Hertfordshire

    News -

    Across East and North Hertfordshire, a new survey has been launched to gain vital feedback on end of life care to help improve services and share learnings.

  50. Improving Healthcare Access for Veterans

    News -

    Find out what the veteran community in Hertfordshire told us about their experiences of accessing healthcare.