1. Enter & View: Specialised Training Now Available

    News -

    To improve our important Enter and View Programme we recently developed and launched accessible training for people with learning disabilities.

  2. Healthwatch Hertfordshire Annual General Meeting 2017

    News -

    On Friday the 12th October Michael Downing our Chairman opened our 2017 Annual General Meeting.

  3. Hatfield Healthfest and Beyond!

    News -

    We attended Hatfield Healthfest on Saturday 23rd September which gave us a great opportunity to get out and talk to people in the community.

  4. Consultation: Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment 2018

    News -

    Hertfordshire County Council have asked us to let you know about a current consultation: The Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment 2018.

  5. East of England Ambulance Service to provide non-emergency transport Service

    News -

    The East of England Ambulance has been awarded a caretaker contract to provide non-emergency patient transport in Bedfordshire, Luton and Hertfordshire.

  6. Improving Supported Living Services Across Hertfordshire

    Report -

    We helped Hertfordshire County Council find out what people using supported living services wanted, so that their needs could be better met by providers. Read our report to hear what they had to say and how their voices influenced future guidelines.

  7. PLACE 2017: What Our Volunteers Did

    News -

    Find out what our volunteers reported when they visited four sites in Hertfordshire this year to assess non-clinical services on behalf of Healthwatch Hertfordshire.

  8. World Sepsis Day

    Advice and Information -

    September 13th is World Sepsis Day. Often known as severe blood poisoning, sepsis can affect the whole body, and is the leading cause of death from infection.

  9. NHS Consultation: Last Chance!

    News -

    There’s not long left until this important consultation closes! Although there has been a good response rate so far, there are still many of you who haven’t shared your views yet.

  10. Herts Aid Football Tournament

    News -

    At the end of July Paul and Alice were lucky enough to be able to attend the Herts Aid Football Football Tournament Cup.

  11. Dental Project: What Our Volunteers Did

    News -

    Healthwatch Volunteers involved in reviewing access to NHS Dental Health Services in Hertfordshire.

  12. #TeamHerts

    News -

    We have recently collaborated with #TeamHerts to promote our new and existing volunteering opportunities.

  13. Volunteer Induction

    News -

    Our first Volunteer Induction Session, following the recent launch of some exciting new volunteer roles, took place on 18th July at the Focolare Centre in Welwyn Garden City.

  14. New Volunteer Roles

    News -

    Read about some exciting developments to our volunteer programme.

  15. National Volunteer Week – A Celebration

    News -

    To coincide with National Volunteer Week 2017 Healthwatch Hertfordshire invited their 50+ volunteers to a celebration event in Welwyn Garden City on a very wet Tuesday on 6th June.

  16. National Volunteers’ Week 1 – 7 June 2017: Valuing our Volunteers

    News -

    Healthwatch Hertfordshire values the work of its Volunteers and on 6th June we are holding a celebration event in Welwyn Garden City.

  17. Dental Report valued by NHS England

    News -

    Our report, “Access to NHS Dental Services in Hertfordshire 2016”, has been welcomed by the NHS England dental team after recently being passed on by the Hertfordshire County Council Health Scrutiny Board.

  18. Covid-19 Vaccinations Underway in Hertfordshire

    Advice and Information -

    The first phase of the NHS Covid-19 vaccination programme has begun across Hertfordshire, with those in the top priority groups being offered the vaccine first.

  19. Digitally Excluded During the Pandemic

    News -

    Find out the reasons for people not being online, and how being digitally excluded has affected people’s experiences during the pandemic.

  20. Getting Local Dentistry Back on Track

    News -

    Healthwatch Hertfordshire has been rallying to help people struggling to access urgent dental care services during the pandemic, ensuring they get the treatment they desperately need.

  21. HPFT webchat service available from 7am-7pm, Monday to Friday

    Advice and Information -

    This live webchat service, which launched in August, has helped over 1,100 people in the first two months, including service users, carers and health and care professionals.

  22. A Message from Our Chief Executive

    News -

    ‘Lockdown’ has been named the 2020 Collins Dictionary word of the year. Others that made the top 10 list included furlough, key worker, self-isolate, social distancing and Coronavirus

  23. NHS 111 First

    Advice and Information -

    To keep urgent NHS services safe and to make sure that they are available for everyone who needs them, an appointment system for urgent and emergency care is being introduced across the country from 1 December.

  24. Staying Well This Winter

    Advice and Information -

    Our local NHS services are here to help you stay well, safely. Do not delay getting help for your health this winter.

  25. Temporary change to opening hours for New QEII Hospital Urgent Care Centre due to COVID-19 pandemic

    Advice and Information -

    From today onwards (Monday 11 January), the New QEII Hospital Urgent Care Centre for minor illnesses and injuries in Welwyn Garden City will close its doors to new patients at 10pm every day. It will reopen at 8am every morning.

  26. Travel with confidence during the pandemic in Herts taxis

    Advice and Information -

    Thanks to the new ‘Travel with Confidence’ scheme, people can feel more confident taking a taxi or minicab in Hertfordshire during the Covid-19 pandemic.

  27. Involving the Public in the Long Term Plan

    Report -

    When the NHS launched its ambitious long-term plan in 2019, we asked you what you thought local priorities should be. Thanks to your feedback, the NHS should now have a stronger focus on involving the public in changes to community & health services.

  28. Visit to The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust, Harlow

    Report -

    The report from our visits to Penn ward, Ray ward and Kingsmoor Emergency Assessment Unit at The Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow using our legal power to Enter and View.

  29. Covid-19 Patient Experiences – What can Hertfordshire learn?

    Report -

    Our report on people's experiences of health, social care and community support during the pandemic is published today. It contains the views of more than 660 Hertfordshire residents. Find out what people told us.

  30. Public Attitudes Towards the Sharing of Health and Care Information

    Report -

    Through our involvement with the Information Sharing work stream of the Better Care Fund Programme, we worked with colleagues from health & social care to better understand people’s views on the way health information is collected, recorded & shared.

  31. Report into Complaints Handling at West Herts Hospital Trust

    Report -

    We worked with West Herts Hospital Trust to review the quality of their final response letters to complainants. Complainants are people who have made a complaint to Trust about the care or treatment they received. Read about what we found here.

  32. Report into Complaints Handling at West Herts Hospital Trust 2018

    Report -

    West Herts Hospital Trust asked us to repeat a qualitative review of their final response letters to complainants. This was to assess what improvements had been in response to our previous recommendations. Read more here.

  33. Mount Vernon Cancer Centre Review: UPDATE

    News -

    We have some news on the latest with the Mount Vernon Cancer Review.

  34. Meg Carter: Volunteer Interview

    Blog -

    Meg is a Trustee on the Healthwatch Hertfordshire Board.

  35. Healthwatch Board Meeting in Public - 23rd February 2021

    Report -

    Read more about our February 2021 Board meeting in public. Our Board members discussed the Trustee Term of Office and our health and social care committee representation.

  36. Patient Led Assessment of the Care Environment (PLACE) 2014

    Report -

    Read about Healthwatch Hertfordshire’s experience of participating in PLACE audits with 5 NHS Trusts and their recommendations to the Trusts to improve the process for patient assessors.

  37. Patient Led Assessment of the Care Environment (PLACE) 2015

    Report -

    Read about Healthwatch Hertfordshire’s experience of participating in PLACE audits with 6 NHS Trusts and their recommendations to the Trusts to improve the process for patient assessors.

  38. Patient Led Assessment of the Care Environment (PLACE) 2016

    Report -

    Read about Healthwatch Hertfordshire’s experience of participating in PLACE audits with 6 NHS Trusts and their recommendations to the Trusts to improve the process for patient assessors.

  39. Hertswise Mystery Shop Exercise 2018

    Report -

    What’s it like when you need to find information and support for your loved one with dementia? Take a look at our findings.

  40. GP Website Audit – Finding information during COVID-19

    Report -

    Are GP websites providing up to date information on COVID-19 and is there accessible and available advice for cancer patients, particularly at a time when it is likely that there would be an increase in patients accessing websites for information?

  41. Dual Diagnosis: Raising Concerns Related to Mental Health and Substance Misuse

    Report -

    We worked with service users, carers, voluntary organisations, and service providers to improve the experience of treatment when someone is diagnosed with a dual diagnosis of mental health issues and substance misuse. Read more here.

  42. Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service (NEPTs) Patient Experience Survey

    Report -

    We carried out a short survey to understand service user experiences of Non-Emergency Patient Transport, provided by the East of England Ambulance Service in Hertfordshire. Find out what people told us here.

  43. Digital Exclusion Case Studies: Covid-19 Patient Experience

    Report -

    We spoke to people who are digitally excluded to find out their reasons for not being online, and how this has affected their experiences during the coronavirus pandemic.

  44. Experiences of Annual Health Checks: Voices from the Learning Disability Community

    Report -

    Annual Health Checks for people with learning disabilities were being missed, or not done properly by local GP’s. This is how we helped.

  45. Accessing Dental Services in Hertfordshire 2016

    Report -

    We were asked to support a local Oral Health Needs Assessment on 'Access to Primary Care Dental Services'. Find out what local residents had to say about their experiences of dental services.

  46. Improving the Patient Experience of Making an NHS Complaint

    Report -

    In response to local feedback about complaints processes, as well as Healthwatch England's report 'Suffering in Silence', we launched our own research into how complaints handling works locally, and what could be improved.

  47. Nascot Lawn Health Scrutiny

    News -

    Anxious families now faced with the cold reality of losing the Children’s Disability Unit they rely on.

  48. Nascot Lawn update

    News -

    Legal agreement to fund Nascot Lawn in Watford has finally been completed

  49. Accessing GP Services: Stort Valley & Villages Locality 2014

    Report -

    Working with Councillors, Commissioners, GP Practices and patients, we looked into issues surrounding access problems, and made recommendations designed to have an instant, positive impact on the way services are delivered. Read more here.

  50. Stockwell Lodge Medical Centre - Helping to Improve Access and The Patient Experience

    Report -

    Following a recent inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) which rated Stockwell Lodge Medical Centre as ‘inadequate’, we were asked by NHS commissioners to work with them and the Practice to help improve its rating and service.