News and reports

New research from Healthwatch England shows worryingly low public confidence in being able to access NHS services. A third of adults in England lack confidence that they can access timely care, including GP services, mental health support and hospital care. Read the findings and the calls for action.

Engaging Communities Solutions (ECS) is an organisation that focuses on involving patients and the public in healthcare research and decision-making processes including the delivery of local Healthwatch.

1 in 7 people live with migraine.

Migraine has been dismissed for too long as ‘just a headache’, despite it being a complex and debilitating neurological disorder. We know that for those living with migraine it has a significant impact on their quality of life, impacting their mental health, relationships, education and their ability to work.

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, formally St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust, are interested in hearing carers experience of hospital.
They would like to find out about your experience as a carer, whilst the person that you care for was in hospital, to enable them to make any improvements required.
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A new men’s mental health awareness campaign has been launched to help men get back to a better place. Backed by local champions sharing their own stories the campaign aims to raise awareness of what men can do to keep themselves well along with support available to help with a variety of stresses.

STAMMA, the British Stammering Association, recommends changes in GP appointment booking systems nationwide after a survey showed that phone-only systems and lack of staff training cause people who stammer to face physical and mental distress, delayed appointments, and late diagnoses.

NHS England is moving forward the timetable for the autumn COVID-19 and flu vaccine rollouts. From September, millions of eligible people will now be offered a COVID-19 vaccine.

Residents of older adult care homes and those most at risk, including those who are immunosuppressed, will receive their COVID-19 vaccine first.

The NHS will start inviting people in priority order of risk. Those who are eligible for a vaccine will be able to book an appointment on the National Booking Service.

People rely on prescription medication to treat and manage their conditions and keep well. In Healthwatch England's new blog, they highlight the challenges people have recently told them about when trying to get prescription medication.

Here we look at six things you should expect when making a complaint about social care services

People have told us they want to feel listened to and involved in decisions about their social care. Here are six things you should expect from care services, according to guidelines.

We hold regular meetings with our Committee in public where we discuss what we've been hearing from the public as well as our organisational direction and progress on projects.

We hold regular meetings with our Committee in public where we discuss what we've been hearing from the public as well as our organisational direction and progress on projects.