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Catch up with the latest news about our work and updates about local health and care services.

People waiting for planned NHS treatment should soon find it easier to understand what is happening with their care, thanks to new minimum standards introduced by NHS England. These standards set out what patients and unpaid carers can expect from the moment a referral is received by a hospital or clinic until treatment starts, is no longer needed, or a patient chooses not to continue.

Every year, Healthwatch Somerset creates a work plan for the next 12 months. This plan is shaped by what local people tell us about health and care services in Somerset. The People’s Vote gives you the chance to tell us which topics matter most to you. By sharing your views, you can help decide what we focus on during 2026–27 and help improve services for people across Somerset. Work we are already committed to A common theme in your feedback during 2025 was the quality of c

The NHS and social care use your health information to care for you and also to improve services. They keep it safe and private. If you don’t want your data used for planning or research, you can choose to opt out. Why is data shared? Shared data helps you and the NHS . For example: It brings your records together to improve your care It was used to find the first coronavirus treatment It supported vaccine research Your individual care Health and care staff may use your confi

We want to thank everyone who came to our Thinking Together event and joined the conversation about accessible health and care information in Somerset.

Know your rights and get the support you need Carers Rights Day was introduced by Carers UK to draw attention to the multiple rights that...