1. How should social care support you?

    Advice and Information -

    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 new guidelines.

  2. How to stay well this winter

    Advice and Information -

    Tips to help you stay well this winter and get the care you need.

  3. Enter and View: Able2achieve

    Report -

    Our report following a visit to Able2achieve in Yeovil, which provides supported living and domiciliary care provision.

  4. Young people’s experience of leaving care

    Report -

    We ran a series of focus groups meeting with young people based at Burton’s Orchard in Taunton. The aims of these groups were to explore young people’s experience of leaving care and to involve them in starting to plan their own consultation with other care leavers.

  5. Early support discharge - independent patient engagement

    Report -

    Early Supported Discharge is a service that aims to help patients who have suffered a stroke to be discharged from hospital sooner and to carry out rehabilitation at home rather than in hospital.

  6. Evaluation of Somerset Safeguarding Service: User feedback process

    Report -

    We worked closely with the Adult Safeguarding Team to design a questionnaire that related to the six principles set out in The Care Act 2014 statutory guidance. We contacted 20 people who had experienced an adult safeguarding intervention in the last two months. Fourteen agreed to take part in the project.

  7. Accessing information about health & support in Somerset: The views of local people

    Report -

    We have been talking to local people about their experiences and views of the accessing health and support information in Somerset. This report tells you what people said when we spoke to them about this.

  8. Care Homes during Covid: Care staff perspective

    Report -

    We wanted to find out about the challenges faced by care home staff during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to understand how they have managed during this time. We held a focused feedback interview with a local care home; this is what they told us.

  9. Accessing health and social care during COVID-19: A Somerset perspective

    Report -

    We gathered real-time feedback on local health and social care services during the pandemic from the views of Somerset residents, to provide information that services can learn from once the outbreak has passed.

  10. ‘Review culture’ is on the rise, yet only one in ten people feedback on health services

    News -

    As Healthwatch marks its tenth anniversary this week, Healthwatch Somerset joins the 152 local Healthwatch across England to appeal for more people to feedback on NHS care.

  11. Evaluating people’s experiences of being transferred from hospital to care at home or in the community

    News -

    Our new report evaluates people’s experiences of being discharged from hospital to be cared for at home or in a residential or community care setting.

  12. The top four things people in Somerset would like to see improved in local NHS services

    News -

    Hundreds of people in Somerset have shared their views on how to improve NHS health services in the county.

  13. Somerset’s adult safeguarding service to be improved based on new feedback

    News -

    New feedback gathered by us on the county’s Adult Safeguarding service will be used to improve it for the future.

  14. Roadshow finishes with more than 400 views on health and care services in Somerset

    News -

    Our roadshow, which travelled almost 260 miles around Somerset to find out the views of local people on health and care services, has finished a seven-day tour with more than 400 views collected.

  15. NHS figures reveal more people with dementia are being admitted to A&E in Somerset

    News -

    More people with dementia are being rushed to hospital emergency departments in Somerset, according to NHS statistics.

  16. Healthwatch Somerset calls for more feedback from public

    News -

    We are encouraging local people to give their views and experiences of local health and care services following a recently published report on Mendip House in the county.

  17. What is adult social care?

    Advice and Information -

    Do you or a loved one need help with social care? Read the article below to find out answers to key questions about who can access adult social care and how to pay for it.

  18. Enter and View report: Newholme Care Home, Ruishton

    Report -

    Our report following a visit to Newholme, a residential care home in the village of Ruishton near Taunton, which provides accommodation for people with a learning disability.

  19. How to look after yourself while caring for someone else

    Advice and Information -

    Each day 6,000 people become carers. Looking after a loved one can be physically and emotionally exhausting so it's vital that you get the support you need. Find out how you can make sure you look after yourself.

  20. Healthwatch England report: Faster progress needed to tackle barriers to care

    News -

    Access to care is the main concern people have shared with Healthwatch in the past year. A new report by Healthwatch England looking at health and social care from the patients' perspective has warned that we risk "a two-tier health and care system" unless the NHS takes faster action to tackle access issues.

  21. What should I know before choosing a care home?

    Advice and Information -

    To choose the right care home and support for your needs, or the needs of a loved one, it's important you have the right information to make your decision. Here are six things you should consider when choosing a care home.

  22. What is an NHS and Care Volunteer Responder, and how can I access this service?

    Advice and Information -

    Did you know Volunteer Responders can help you access support and services such as collecting prescriptions and shopping delivery?

  23. Collaborative event sets the stage for renewed commitment to Somerset’s unpaid carers

    News -

    The Somerset Carers Engagement Project recently achieved a significant milestone in its mission to empower and support unpaid carers across the county when it held a major collaborative event to inform Somerset's renewed Commitment to Carers.

  24. Where can I go to get help for my health out of hours?

    Advice and Information -

    People are often in need of out-of-hours medical assistance. Using NHS guidelines, we have provided some advice and information on where you can go for help when your GP is closed.

  25. People are increasingly avoiding NHS appointments and prescriptions due to cost of living, Healthwatch England warns

    News -

    With spiralling costs of living, Healthwatch England is warning people are making changes to how they use health and social care services, which can have an adverse impact on their health and wellbeing.

  26. Planning care at the end of life

    Advice and Information -

    We explain why it’s important to have a plan in place, should you or a loved one become critically ill.

  27. What is a GP referral and how can you get one?

    Advice and Information -

    When you need specialist NHS support, like hospital tests or treatment, you often need a referral from your GP first. Find out what this includes and what to expect.

  28. Think you need to go to A&E? Learn how NHS 111 can help you

    Advice and Information -

    The NHS wants to make it easier and safer for patients to get the right treatment when they need it, without waiting a long time to be seen in A&E. Find out what this means for you and your loved ones.

  29. Enter and View report: West Mendip Hospital, Glastonbury

    Report -

    Our report following a visit to West Mendip Hospital, Glastonbury. The wards provide 36 beds, which host a mixture of patients: on Pathway 2, Pathway 3 or end of life patients.

  30. Information stand at Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton

    Report -

    Our Enter and View Team engaged with members of public at Musgrove Park Hospital. We spoke to people and recorded their comments about health and social care services, and we gave out dozens of leaflets, and ‘How Connected Are You?’ Surveys.

  31. Post Polio Syndrome consultation in Somerset

    Report -

    We consulted with members of the Somerset Polio Support Group to document the care they receive from the NHS in relation to their condition, at both primary and hospital level, in order to raise the understanding of PPS with NHS health commissioners.

  32. Somerset Polio Foundation Support Group

    Report -

    In September 2016 we returned to visit this group to find out how their report on Post Polio Syndrome (PPS) was progressing and to hear the key issues identified so far.

  33. Post Polio Support Group, Taunton

    Report -

    This report details our engagement with Taunton Post Polio Support Group, the issues around the understanding among professionals about Post Polio Syndrome and the ongoing joint work to highlight these with commissioners, GPs and health professionals.

  34. NHS 111 service report: Experiences and views of local people in Somerset

    Report -

    We created a survey that could be accessed online and completed at engagement events. The survey ran from 11 June to 31 August 2018. It asked for the views of local people who had used the service within the last three years.

  35. Health Visiting Service Report: Views on early years support

    Report -

    We have been talking to local people about their experiences and views of the Health Visiting Service in Somerset. This report tells you what people said when we spoke to them about the service.

  36. NHS 111 Out-of-hours service: Public feedback from Somerset, Devon, Plymouth and Torbay

    Report -

    Healthwatch in Somerset, Devon, Plymouth and Torbay joined forces to promote a regional survey to ensure that people using the NHS 111 service had their say on the way it is delivered to them.

  37. The District Nursing Service: People’s experiences of using the service in Somerset

    Report -

    We gathered the views of those currently using the District Nursing Service. We wanted to know what the current strengths and weaknesses were in the delivery of the service to patients in Somerset.

  38. The impact of waiting for NHS surgery in Somerset

    Report -

    Somerset’s NHS leaders asked us to help them understand how people are being affected by waiting for surgery to inform their ongoing work to improve support for patients.

  39. Experiences with the NHS 111 service in Devon, Plymouth, Torbay, and Somerset

    Report -

    People who use NHS 111 in Devon and Somerset have reported ongoing concerns about the quality of the service, with the most common complaints being about long waiting times and difficulty getting through on the phone.

  40. Same day urgent care in West Somerset

    Report -

    The aim of this project was to gather the views of people living in West Somerset about same day urgent care. Somerset NHS Clinical Commissioning Group asked us to carry out this work as part of a review into how urgent care is provided in Somerset.

  41. Supported transfer of care from hospitals: evaluating people’s experiences to help shape improvements in care

    Report -

    We wanted to explore the quality of the transfer of care process in Somerset and use the experiences of people who have been discharged from hospital with ongoing care needs to guide improvements in the process.

  42. Healthwatch England research: Six-week postnatal checks are failing many new mothers

    News -

    Healthwatch England, is warning that six-week postnatal checks – required of GPs in England – are failing many new mothers.

  43. Healthwatch England research: Tell us your story of maternal mental health care

    News -

    Healthwatch is launching a national survey to understand if care works for new mothers and birthing parents.

  44. Share your views to help shape NHS Same Day Urgent Care services in Somerset

    News -

    The NHS is reviewing how it provides Same Day Urgent Care in Somerset, and we want to hear your views to help shape and improve access to services in the future.

  45. What to expect when waiting for care

    Blog -

    Information and advice from Healthwatch England, September 2021

  46. Healthwatch report highlights ongoing public concerns about NHS 111 service in Devon and Somerset

    News -

    People who use NHS 111 in Devon and Somerset have reported ongoing concerns about the quality of the service, with the most common complaints being about long waiting times and difficulty getting through on the phone.

  47. Healthwatch recommends improved communication and support for patients waiting for surgery in Somerset

    News -

    In our recent survey, patients who are waiting for planned surgery in Somerset reported a lack of communication from hospitals and many felt their health and wellbeing had deteriorated while waiting for treatment.

  48. Local Healthwatch seeks public feedback on NHS 111 to help the service improve

    News -

    A new public survey has been launched to find out more about local people’s experiences of using the NHS 111 service in the region.

  49. Are you or your loved ones waiting for hospital care? Share your experience with Healthwatch England

    News -

    Millions of people have had their treatment delayed by the pandemic – are you one of them?

  50. New study asks people how they’ve been affected by waiting for surgery in Somerset

    News -

    As the number of patients waiting for surgery continues to grow, nationally and in southwest England, we are asking people about their experiences of being referred for surgery in Somerset and how they have been affected by waiting times.