1. Thinking about end of life care for you and your family

    Advice and Information -

    End of life care is support for people who are in the last months or years of their life. The guidance on the NHS website helps you know what to expect, how to plan ahead and how to manage your day to day decisions.

  2. What is domestic abuse and how can I get support?

    Advice and Information -

    If you are experiencing, or feel at risk of, domestic abuse or are worried about someone who might be, find out where you can go for advice and help.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. End of Life Steering Group – can you help?

    News -

    The End of Life Steering Group for the Hertfordshire and West Essex STP wants to understand the current provision of bereavement services available to communities across Hertfordshire and West Essex in order to identify gaps in service provision.

  6. 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.

  7. 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.

  8. 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.

  9. 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.

  10. 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.

  11. 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.

  12. 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.

  13. Improving Health Outcomes for people with a Learning Disability

    News -

    We worked with our Learning Disability Service Watch Group to co-produce an Annual Health Check research project. The focus of the work was to investigate the uptake and quality of Annual Health Checks from the Learning Disability Community.

  14. 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.

  15. Health and Social Care Bill moves through Parliament

    News -

    A Health and Social Care Bill was introduced to Parliament in early July.

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

    News -

    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.

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

    News -

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

  18. What is Adult Social Care?

    Advice and Information -

    Do you or a loved one need help with social care? Read the article below and find out answers to key questions about who can access adult social care and how to pay for it.

  19. 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?

    News -

    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.

  20. Need support for an eating disorder?

    Advice and Information -

    Eating disorders are complex mental illnesses that anyone can develop, regardless of age, income and ethnicity. Take a look at some of the common signs of eating disorders and where to go for support if you need help.

  21. Young Carers call for support, not sympathy

    News -

    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.

  22. Creating a world that works for Autistic people

    News -

    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.

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

    News -

    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.

  24. Healthwatch Hertfordshire welcomes new NHS structure

    News -

    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.

  25. Healthwatch Hertfordshire – Annual General Meeting 19 July 2022

    News -

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

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

    News -

    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.

  27. Tackling mental health and substance misuse together

    News -

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

  28. Visiting Beyond the Pandemic - A Review of Hertfordshire Care Homes

    Report -

    Concerns about flexibility of visiting times in care homes and lack of clarity about restrictions led us to explore what information was available on 135 of our Hertfordshire care home websites.

  29. 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.

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

    News -

    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.

  31. 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.

  32. 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.

  33. 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.

  34. 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.

  35. 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.

  36. 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.

  37. 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.

  38. 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.

  39. 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.

  40. 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.

  41. Shared Care Record - Connecting health and care information

    Advice and Information -

    The Hertfordshire and West Essex Shared Care Record connects GP practices, hospitals, hospices, out-of-hours/community/mental health services and adult social care information for health professionals.

  42. Did you know we can help with Social Care?

    Advice and Information -

    Many people think we only help with issues relating to health, but if you have concerns about Social Care services and need assistance or advice, we are here for you.

  43. GPs should better support People with Learning Disabilities

    News -

    We listened to what people with learning disabilities told us about how doctors’ surgeries helped them stay healthy and well and came up with some ideas to make things better in Hertfordshire.

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

    News -

    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.

  45. Using Sexual Health Services – Experiences of Local People

    News -

    Hertfordshire adults generally have good access to local sexual health services, but have told us they want more information about infections, prevention and testing, as well as clinics in more discreet locations and additional online services.

  46. Herts Drug and Alcohol Recovery Services Improving Lives

    News -

    Drug and alcohol recovery and reintegration services in Hertfordshire have been positively described as “life-changing” by service users and carers.

  47. Cost of Living Research receives National Accolade

    News -

    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. What should you expect from home care services?

    Advice and Information -

    The number of people being cared for in their own homes is increasing but what should you expect from home care services?