1. What should you expect when it comes to care for your teeth?

    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.

  2. 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.

  3. Visits to Care Homes in Hertfordshire - Phase 1

    Report -

    The reports from 12 care homes we visited using our legal power to Enter and View.

  4. Visits to Care Homes in Hertfordshire - Phase 2

    Report -

    The reports from 8 care homes we visited using our legal power to Enter and View.

  5. Visits to Care Homes in Hertfordshire - Phase 3

    Report -

    The reports from 9 care homes we visited using our legal power to Enter and View.

  6. Westgate House Care Centre Visits

    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).

  7. Gold Care Homes Ltd Care Home Visits Summary Report

    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.

  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. Nascot Lawn Health Scrutiny

    News -

    Anxious families now faced with the cold reality of losing the Children’s Disability Unit they rely on.

  13. Coronavirus Vaccine: Share your thoughts

    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.

  14. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has investigated ‘do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation’ decisions made during Covid-19.

    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.

  15. 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.

  16. Care Home Visiting Beyond the Pandemic: share your experiences

    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.

  17. 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.

  18. 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.

  19. 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.

  20. 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.

  21. 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.

  22. 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.

  23. 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.

  24. Where can I go to get help for my health out of hours?

    Advice and Information -

    Health issues unfortunately don't leave us alone at the weekend and people are often in need of medical assistance out of hours. Using NHS guidelines, we have provided some advice and information on where you can go for help when your GP is closed.

  25. Do you need help getting to hospital?

    Advice and Information -

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

  26. 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.

  27. Accessibility checklist for GP surgeries

    Advice and Information -

    Help make sure that your practice meets people’s accessibility requirements using this checklist from Healthwatch Slough.

  28. 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.

  29. Getting the most out of the virtual health and care experience

    Advice and Information -

    National Voices, Traverse, PPL and Healthwatch England put together some tips on how to get the most out of the virtual health and care appointments both for patients and health and care professionals.

  30. How to communicate better with people with hearing loss

    Advice and Information -

    COVID-19 poses a unique challenge for health and social care professionals when talking to someone with hearing loss. Here are some important tips to help you communicate effectively.

  31. Feeling Good Week 2021 – Get Involved!

    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.

  32. Don’t Rely on GP Websites for Cancer Information…Speak to your GP

    News -

    With the help of our volunteers we checked 103 local GP websites, and found that while most offered advice for patients about cancer, the quantity and quality of that advice was not always very good.

  33. Data Sharing and Health – Get Involved!

    News -

    We are working with the University of Cambridge, Public Health England and other local Healthwatch across the East of England to find out what people think about using health data to inform care, public health and research.

  34. 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.

  35. By talking to us you have helped to make Annual Health Checks better

    News -

    We have been working with Herts County Council to find out what people with learning disabilities, their carers and support workers think about Annual Health Checks. The response was fantastic and our report is now available.

  36. 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.

  37. An Update for those shielding

    Advice and Information -

    From Monday, 1 June, people who are shielding are able to go out once a day for exercise but they must maintain social distancing.

  38. Opportunity for Veterans to have their say about access to Healthcare

    News -

    Did you know that according to ONS data, there are approximately 36,000 veterans living in Hertfordshire? However, as in other parts of the country, there is relatively little data on specific health issues or priorities of the veteran community.

  39. 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.

  40. 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.

  41. Temporary changes to dental care

    Advice and Information -

    Due to the coronavirus outbreak NHS England have made changes to the way they deliver dental care. To help prevent the spread of coronavirus routine dental care is not currently available and routine appointments will not take place.

  42. Updated advice on the use of Ibuprofen and COVID-19

    Advice and Information -

    The Commission on Human Medicines has now confirmed that there is no clear evidence that using ibuprofen to treat symptoms such as a high temperature can make coronavirus (COVID-19) worse.

  43. Coronavirus: What does Shielding mean?

    Advice and Information -

    You may have heard the word ‘shielding’ in reference to coronavirus. Shielding is the word used to describe how to protect those at highest risk of severe illness if they catch coronavirus.

  44. Planning end of life care – where can I find more information?

    Advice and Information -

    Due to the coronavirus outbreak, the NHS is encouraging people, especially those at the highest risk of COVID-19, to talk about their preferences for end of life care.

  45. Losing a loved one – where to access support

    Advice and Information -

    Grief is something people experience when someone close to use dies. People react in different ways when someone dies, and there is no right or wrong way to feel.

  46. 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.

  47. 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.

  48. 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.

  49. Looking after your mental health during the Coronavirus outbreak

    Advice and Information -

    The Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak is affecting all our daily lives. Social distancing and self-isolation in particular can be difficult to cope with, and can have a significant impact on our mental health

  50. Changes to Integrated Musculoskeletal (MSK) Service in Herts Valley – COVID 19 Update

    Advice and Information -

    The Integrated Musculoskeletal (MSK) services in Herts Valleys have now moved all appointments to either virtual or telephone appointments.