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. Do you need help getting to hospital?

    Advice and Information -

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

  25. 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.

  26. 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.

  27. Healthwatch Hertfordshire involved with Research to improve Health and Care in the East of England

    News -

    Communities with the greatest health challenges across the region are set to benefit from government funding awarded to run applied research projects, which can transform the lives of millions of people managing health issues.

  28. Winter Pressures

    Advice and Information -

    Though winter is often thought of as a cheerful time of festivity and family, the colder months can exacerbate some of the daily challenges of later life, from isolation to fuel poverty.

  29. Hertfordshire Transgender Update

    News -

    Nearly £5,000 has been raised to support the work of the Hertfordshire Transgender Implementation Group.

  30. Inaugural Trans Awareness Black Tie Dinner

    News -

    Steve Palmer and Paul Regan recently attended The Inaugural Trans Awareness Black Tie Dinner at the Priory in Hitchin.

  31. 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.

  32. Digitally Excluded During the Pandemic

    News -

    Find out the reasons for people not being online, and how being digitally excluded has affected people’s experiences during the pandemic.

  33. Digital Exclusion Case Studies: Covid-19 Patient Experience

    Report -

    We spoke to people who are digitally excluded to find out their reasons for not being online, and how this has affected their experiences during the coronavirus pandemic.

  34. Experiences of Annual Health Checks: Voices from the Learning Disability Community

    Report -

    Annual Health Checks for people with learning disabilities were being missed, or not done properly by local GP’s. This is how we helped.

  35. Accessing Dental Services in Hertfordshire 2016

    Report -

    We were asked to support a local Oral Health Needs Assessment on 'Access to Primary Care Dental Services'. Find out what local residents had to say about their experiences of dental services.

  36. The Health Foundation publish their COVID-19 impact inquiry report

    News -

    As the success of the COVID-19 vaccination programme sets the UK on a course towards recovery, it is essential that we learn lessons from the past 18 months.

  37. People living in the poorest areas waiting longer for hospital treatment

    News -

    The King’s Fund and Healthwatch England have jointly called for urgent action to address hospital waiting lists and improve patients’ experience of delays to treatment.

  38. 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.

  39. 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.

  40. 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.

  41. Breaking down barriers to cervical screening

    News -

    Cervical cancer screening is currently at record lows in England, yet some women with physical disabilities who want this life-saving test are finding it hard to access screening.

  42. Take action this World Cancer Day

    News -

    World Cancer Day, February 4, was an important chance to remind people to take action and help close the gap on health inequalities and save lives through early detection.

  43. Working with Local Councillors and Community Groups to Tackle Ethnic Health Inequalities

    News -

    Find out how we helped local councillors shine a light on ethnic health inequalities and how services plan to improve health outcomes for ethnically diverse communities living in Hertfordshire.

  44. 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.

  45. What is Monkeypox?

    News -

    As you will have heard in the news, monkeypox is a rare viral infection and the risk to the UK population is low.

  46. Building relationships with Black and Asian community leaders to tackle ethnic health inequalities

    Report -

    Thanks to new and ongoing partnerships with Black and Asian community leaders over the past year, we can share important learning on how services can work to better engage with Black and Asian communities to tackle ethnic health inequalities.

  47. Healthwatch Hertfordshire – Annual General Meeting 19 July 2022

    News -

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

  48. Local healthcare needs to tackle discrimination, say Black and Asian communities

    News -

    Our ground-breaking Hertfordshire research has found that up to 45 per cent of Black and Asian respondents felt they had been discriminated against in a healthcare setting, with many believing this was because of their ethnicity.