🌟 July – September 2025

Below you’ll find a summary of what we heard from local people — and the work we carried out this quarter.
 

🗣️ What people told us

Between July and September, 492 people shared their experiences of health and care services in Halton.

Most people continued to report good, compassionate care, praising:

  • 😊 Staff attitude and professionalism
  • 💗 Quality of care
  • 💊 Pharmacy services

However, several recurring concerns were raised:

  • ⏳ Difficulties accessing GP appointments and long waits for hospital outpatient departments
  • 💬 Communication issues, including delays and unclear follow-up
  • 💻 Challenges using digital-only access systems such as PATCHS
  • 🦷 Ongoing difficulty finding NHS dentists accepting new patients

We share these experiences with NHS and council partners to highlight good practice and areas for improvement.

🤝 What we did this quarter

We carried out 31 engagement and outreach sessions, speaking with 465 people across Halton. These took place in GP practices, hospitals, community venues, Widnes Market, Halton Pride, the Mental Health Hub, and refugee/asylum-seeker support groups.

People came to us for help with:

  • 📅 GP access and registration
  • 📱 The NHS App
  • ♿ Blue Badge applications
  • 🧠 Mental health support
  • 🕊️ Bereavement and social care advice
  • 🦷 Accessing dental care
  • 📝 Understanding referrals and waiting lists

We also provided 📶 data SIMs through the National Databank scheme to reduce digital exclusion.

Our volunteers donated 22 hours of their time this quarter, supporting outreach and office work. 🙌

🏡 Enter & View

We carried out an Enter & View visit to Ferndale Mews in September.

We found:

  • 💗 A warm, caring and well-led environment
  • 👍 Positive relationships between residents and staff
  • 🔧 Minor issues such as signage and lighting, which have been shared with the manager

A further nine Enter & View visits are planned before March 2026.

📄 Reports published this quarter

We published several reports, including:

  • 📘 GP Access – Cheshire & Merseyside
  • 📗 GP Access – Halton
  • 🏥 Listening Event reports for:
    • Whiston Hospital
    • St Helens Hospital
    • Halton Hospital
    • Warrington Hospital

These reports reflect the views of hundreds of local people and are helping shape NHS improvement work.

🧭 Helping people through our Signposting & Information service

We supported 55 residents with a range of enquiries, including:

  • 🛡️ Safeguarding concerns
  • 🦷 Emergency dental access
  • 🌍 Interpreter-supported GP appointments
  • 🧑‍🦽 OT reassessments for equipment and home adaptations
  • 👥 Support for carers and vulnerable adults
  • 🎖️ Mental health referrals for veterans
  • 🚑 Transport for urgent diagnostics

Many issues were resolved quickly without needing a formal complaint.

📊 Using insight to drive improvement

We continued developing our CIS-based insight tools and rolling dashboards, giving partners a clearer view of:

  • 📅 Access
  • ⏳ Waiting times
  • 💬 Communication
  • 💻 Digital barriers

We share these insights with the Halton Quality & Performance Group, Primary Care Commissioning Group and local Patient Experience Committees.

🤝 Working with partners

We attended 34 partnership and statutory meetings, contributing to discussions on:

  • 🏥 Primary Care
  • 👶 Children and young people’s emotional wellbeing
  • 🌅 End-of-life care
  • 🔄 Information sharing
  • ⚖️ Health inequalities
  • 📣 Patient experience and safety

Despite national uncertainty around the future of Healthwatch, we continue to act as Halton’s independent patient champion, ensuring residents’ voices shape local services