News and reports

Being able to access primary care services is a key concern that the public have raised with local Healthwatch. In our latest blog we share the views of one group of British Pakistani women from Waltham Forest.

Today David Cameron pledged £1 billion in extra mental health support for England. Read our response.

Local Healthwatch made 600 visits last year to find out how people feel about the quality of health and care services. We spoke to Healthwatch Lancashire to find out how patients felt about changes that were made to a nearby hospital.

The answer is, in short no, but this was one of the 10 common problems we found when our network spoke to over 11,000 people about their experiences of primary care. Here are examples of what local Healthwatch have been doing to tackle this problem.

Results from the latest GP Patient Survey shows patient satisfaction is declining.

Katherine Rake looks back at the factors that are helping Healthwatch amplify the voice of health and social care consumers.

The work of the Healthwatch network is shaped by the concerns that local people raise with 152 local Healthwatch. Our annual survey of health and care priorities reveals the five top issues for 2016.

One in three people said yes when asked this question in a recent England wide poll. We spoke to Healthwatch Cornwall to find out more about changing attitudes to pharmacy services.

Most people when surveyed say that they are satisfied with the care they get from primary care services, but this does not tell the full story.

As 2015 draws to a close, we have been looking back at the great work the Healthwatch network has done this year.

Following a public consultation to which over 130,000 responses were received, the Department of Health has now published the NHS mandate.

The Department of Health has today started advertising for a new chair to lead Healthwatch England through the changing landscape of health and social care.