1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

  7. 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.

  8. 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.

  9. 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.

  10. 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.

  11. 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.

  12. 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.

  13. 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.

  14. 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.

  15. 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.

  16. 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.

  17. 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.

  18. 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.

  19. 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.

  20. 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.

  21. ‘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.

  22. 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.

  23. 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.

  24. 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.

  25. What to expect when waiting for care

    Blog -

    Information and advice from Healthwatch England, September 2021

  26. 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.

  27. 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.

  28. 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.

  29. 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?

  30. 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.

  31. Changes to Somerset’s District Nursing Service: What patients and carers want to see

    News -

    Our new report out today, shows that people who receive care and support at home from the District Nursing Service, would like to see the introduction of weekend and evening visits, but many people are more cautious about the introduction of digital consultations.

  32. New public engagement programme to drive improvements in local health and social care

    News -

    We have announced the areas we will investigate this year, to make sure that local people’s views and experiences are used to drive and support improvements in local services.

  33. What do you think about Somerset’s District Nursing Service? What works well and what could be improved?

    News -

    We want to know what people think about the care they have received from Somerset’s District Nursing Service, to help the service develop and improve how it cares for local people.

  34. Healthwatch report highlights inconsistencies in NHS 111 service in Somerset and Devon

    News -

    A joint report released today by a group of local Healthwatch in the South West, shows that although the NHS 111 service in Somerset and Devon is rated highly by the public, there are inconsistencies in the quality of the service.

  35. Local Healthwatch plea for public feedback on NHS 111 service

    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.

  36. Hundreds share how they look for help when ill in Somerset

    News -

    People in Somerset looking for health advice and support want to see better access to their GP to get the information they need, rather than looking online for help.

  37. How easy is it to access support and advice to help you stay happy & healthy in Somerset?

    News -

    People in Somerset are being asked to share how they access information, support and advice when they are ill, looking after someone or finding it difficult to manage living at home, to help shape local services going forward.

  38. 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.

  39. Health visitor still the first point of call when parents of young children need advice and support – new report reveals

    News -

    Parents of young children still prefer to ask their health visitor or GP surgery for health advice and support rather than go to Facebook or consult their Red Book – according to the findings of our survey published today.

  40. Help people with their final wishes for health care – says Somerset man

    News -

    Health and social services should openly talk about end of life care and the wishes of patients – says Healthwatch Somerset volunteer Steve.

  41. How does living in a rural area affect access to healthcare?

    News -

    One man shares his views about how NHS services where he lives should change.

  42. 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.

  43. 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.

  44. Share your experiences of Health Visiting Services in Somerset

    News -

    Parents of young children in Somerset are being asked to share their views and experiences about the health visiting services they have received in the County, to help shape the service going forward.

  45. Join a People’s Panel

    News -

    Have your say on the future of health and social care in Somerset – by joining a new Public and Patient People’s Panel.

  46. There’s still time to give your views on Somerset’s 111 service

    News -

    People in Somerset are being urged to give their views on using the county’s 111 non-emergency phone line.

  47. Views wanted to help improve Somerset’s failing 111 service

    News -

    People in Somerset are being asked for their views on using the county’s 111 non-emergency phone line.

  48. How to stay informed while you wait for care

    Advice and Information -

    The wait for planned medical care or surgery can be frustrating. That’s why you must get regular and accessible updates while you wait.

  49. Cervical screening: What to expect from your smear test

    Advice and Information -

    Cervical cancer screenings save at least 2,000 lives every year in the UK. Here's what you should expect from your smear test and why these screenings are important.

  50. What can you expect when you’re discharged from hospital?

    Advice and Information -

    The usual processes the NHS follows to discharge you from hospital have changed since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Here’s what you can expect when it’s time to leave hospital.