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Advice and Information -
Four questions staff should ask you or a loved one about your oral health if you’re a care home resident, according to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence quick guide. -
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. -
Report -
The reports from 12 care homes we visited using our legal power to Enter and View. -
Report -
The reports from 8 care homes we visited using our legal power to Enter and View. -
Report -
The reports from 9 care homes we visited using our legal power to Enter and View. -
Report -
The reports from our visits to Westgate Care Centre, Ware as requested by Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) and East and North Hertfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (ENHCCG). -
Report -
The summary report from our visits to Halcyon Days Care Home, Autumn Vale Care Centre and Heath Lodge Care Home run by Gold Care Homes Ltd following our rolling programme of care home visits. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
News -
Anxious families now faced with the cold reality of losing the Children’s Disability Unit they rely on. -
News -
The national COVID-19 vaccination programme is well underway in Hertfordshire, with both the Pfizer/BioNTech and Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines being given to local residents. Whether you have had the vaccine or not, we want to hear from you. -
News -
The CQC said it was unacceptable for any do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation (DNACPR) decisions to be made without proper conversations with the individual, or an appropriate representative, taking into account their wishes and needs. -
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. -
News -
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. -
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. -
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. -
Advice and Information -
Big changes have been happening across England's health and care system. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
Advice and Information -
Find out what support is available to help you travel to your hospital appointments. -
Advice and Information -
Find out what support is available to help you when travelling to your GP, hospital or other NHS services. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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.
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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. -
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.
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Advice and Information -
Due to the Coronavirus outbreak, there have been local changes to the NHS provision of non-essential outpatient appointments. -
Advice and Information -
Following national guidance, there have been restrictions placed on most hospital visitation. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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.
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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 -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
Blog -
Meg is a Trustee on the Healthwatch Hertfordshire Board. -
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. -
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.
