1. Safely home: People's experiences of leaving care

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    With the help of 101 local Healthwatch, we heard from over 3,000 people who shared their stories with us about their experiences of the discharge process.

  2. NHS not tracking why more patients are being readmitted to hospital

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    New research indicates spike in emergency readmissions to hospital over the last year. Our report calls on NHS to fix the data gaps to help understand why.

  3. Helping you find answers

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    To give you an idea of some of the ways we’ve helped, take a look at our round up of the top questions people ask us.

  4. New Long Term Plan is "just the start"

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    The NHS in England has published a ten year plan setting its priorities for the future.

  5. New plans to investigate rising emergency readmissions to hospitals announced in response to concerns raised by patients

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    NHS Digital responds to the Healthwatch call to monitor emergency readmission rates and investigate the reasons why people return to hospital just 30 days after they have been discharged.

  6. Healthwatch brings people's voices to Westminster

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    Healthwatch from across England shared their successes and concerns in Westminster to make sure people can have their say about changes to health services.

  7. Why are people struggling to get their medication?

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    We look at one of the issues people raise with Healthwatch and the steps GPs and Pharmacists can take to help people get the medication they need.

  8. High quality services are more important to patients visiting A&E than how long they may have to wait.

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    Our new research explores what matters most to people when seeking emergency care. We look at how this information could be used to ensure NHS performance figures are more meaningful to the public.

  9. Digital resources to support #WhatWouldYouDo

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    Download and view our digital tools so that people can have their say on how to improve their local NHS.

  10. How can services learn from people’s experience of A&E?

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    High quality care is people’s top priority when visiting A&E, not how long they need to wait. So how can emergency care services learn from people’s experiences?

  11. How easy is it to travel to medical appointments?

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    In our latest review of people’s experiences of NHS and social care services, we look in detail at the issue of patient transport.

  12. Shortlist showcase - Championing diversity and inclusion

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    With a diverse population, it’s important that local services understand what their communities need, and that they don’t try and follow a one size fits all approach. Take a look at who has been shortlisted for our Diversity and Inclusion award.

  13. Why getting personal is important when it comes to health and care

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    Read a summary of our latest research to find out why personalised care is important.

  14. More focus needed on how people travel to and from NHS services

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    Together with two leading charities, we are raising awareness of the issues people facing travelling to and from NHS services. We will be working with NHS England to support their new national review of the links between the NHS and local transport.

  15. New NHS target aims to improve your experience of leaving hospital

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    The Government has published what it wants the NHS to deliver over the next 12 months, including a new target to reduce the delays people can face when leaving hospital.

  16. Involving local people in improving disability access

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    Find out what happened when one Healthwatch Bolton worked with their local hospital to improve access for people with disabilities.

  17. A step closer to getting hospital discharge right

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    When hospital discharge goes wrong, it comes at a cost to both individuals and the health and social care system.

  18. Why hospital discharge is everyone’s problem (and how new plans can help)

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    When discharge goes wrong, it comes at a cost to the NHS, to social care services, and to the individual. When it works, people are able to move on with their lives and recover safely.

  19. Putting the focus back on patients

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    Read a letter from our Chair Anna Bradley to the Times newspaper expressing her concerns regarding the need to champion patient voice.

  20. Fewer hospital appointments missed thanks to one simple idea

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    Find out how one simple suggestion from deaf people in Dudley led to a better experience of visiting hospital.

  21. How a simple change helped make an A&E department more child-friendly

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    Small and simple changes can help make a big difference to people's experiences of health and social care. Find out how a hospital has helped make visits easier for children after one mum spoke up.

  22. NHS needs to do more to understand why people are returning to hospital after being discharged

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    New figures show that emergency readmissions to hospital have risen by a fifth since 2012/13. Find out more about what our new analysis of emergency readmissions data tells us.

  23. People share their experiences of being discharged from hospital

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    In our new briefing - What happens when people leave hospital and other care settings? – we share what over 2,000 people told local Healthwatch about their experiences of being discharged.

  24. Local NHS commits to making changes after patients share their experiences of A&E

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    The number of people visiting A&E in 2016 increased by 5.3% to 23.57 million. To better understand why more people have been visiting A&E, Healthwatch Reading spoke to patients to find out about their experience.

  25. Healthwatch 2019 Network Award Winners announced

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    Find out about our celebration of the contribution made by local staff and volunteers who helped gather more than half a million people's views last year.

  26. People share what a good A&E experience looks like

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    Our research shows that the public value a wide range of factors when it comes to good care in A&E, which is why we're working with the NHS to ensure new measures take people’s full experiences into consideration.

  27. What have people told us about health and social care

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    Thousands of people share their experiences of health and care with Healthwatch every month. Download our briefing to find out the key issues people are raising about GPs, hospitals and other care services.

  28. Healthwatch help people in south London get support after leaving hospital

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    Being discharged from hospital isn’t just about going home – it’s about the care and support you receive afterwards too. Read about two local Healthwatch who have won an award for working together to help people in south London get what they need.

  29. Government listens to our concerns about rising emergency readmissions

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    In January, we highlighted six key areas to the Government for NHS England to focus on over the next year. Find out how these issues will be addressed through the NHS Mandate.

  30. Are people waiting too long to be assessed for social care support?

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    This is the question we are working with local Healthwatch to find out.

  31. Help improve how the NHS learns from unexpected deaths

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    When someone dies unexpectedly while under NHS care, it is important that the correct processes are in place to find out why. The Care Quality Commission is looking at this issue and wants to hear your views.

  32. Improving access to gender reassignment surgery: The story so far

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    With the NHS recently announcing £6.5m of additional funding for gender identity services next year, we take a look at the progress that has been made so far, and what happens next.

  33. How are local Healthwatch making a difference to blood testing services?

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    Most people will have a blood test at some point in their lives. Take a look at just some of the ways local Healthwatch in London have been working to improve blood testing services.

  34. I didn’t know what to expect when dad was taken to hospital

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    During lockdown, Tony was admitted to hospital with chest pains. His son, Robin, 35, talks to us about the difficulties family members face trying to find out what’s happening when a loved one is in hospital.

  35. Every Voice Matters - our Annual Report to Parliament 2015-16

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    Published today, Every Voice Matters, our Annual Report to Parliament 2015-16, outlines how together we are putting people at the heart of care.

  36. Healthwatch Awards 2020: Shortlist announced

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    We are delighted to announce the shortlist for the Healthwatch Awards 2020.

  37. Improving urgent and emergency care in West Yorkshire

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    The NHS is looking for better ways to make sure that people with urgent medical problems get the care they need, when they need it. We look at how local Healthwatch have been working together to ensure people have a say.

  38. Getting hospital discharge right would stop suffering and save millions of pounds

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    Our new report brings together 3,230 stories gathered by 101 local Healthwatch from across the country, revealing the human and financial cost of getting the discharge process wrong.

  39. Nearly a fifth confess to knowingly using A&E for non-emergencies

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    Nearly a fifth confess to knowingly using A&E for non-emergencies.

  40. Consumer champion to explore public’s role in driving change in Health and Care

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    Healthwatch England launches its 12 week consultation to help shape our strategy for the next two years.

  41. NHS steps up a gear to get people home for Christmas

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    People waiting to leave hospital are discharged more quickly and efficiently in the run up to Christmas than at any other time of year.

  42. Don’t blame patients for the bed crisis

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    New figures show a significant increase in the number of delayed transfers of people between hospitals, care homes and community services. We look at what people are telling Healthwatch about their experience.

  43. Hospital changes improve patient satisfaction

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    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.

  44. Focus on NHS Admin is needed to improve people’s experiences of care

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    In partnership with Healthwatch and National Voices, new findings from The King's Fund highlight the critical role of administration in how people experience care.