News and reports

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.

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

Our new report looks at people’s experiences of using GP websites to access healthcare services and information, highlighting that improvements are needed to make it easier for more people to get good care and support online.

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.

By Gillian Keniston-Goble, Healthwatch Somerset Manager

Last year (April 2021-March 2022), we supported almost 2,900 people to have their say on health and social care and to get the right information and advice about local services.

As Somerset’s new Integrated Care System (ICS) becomes a statutory body and formally starts work on 1 July 2022, we look forward to a productive partnership to make care better.

Information and advice from Somerset NHS Clinical Commissioning Group, May 2022

We are investigating people’s experiences of using GP websites to get health and wellbeing information and support.

A new survey of public attitudes to NHS dentistry shows that half of the adults in England find dental charges unfair amid escalating living costs.

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.

We invited Fiona Harvey, Carers Service Coordinator for the Community Council for Somerset, to tell us about support for unpaid carers in Somerset as COVID-19 restrictions continue to ease.