News and reports

Healthwatch Bristol, Healthwatch North Somerset and Healthwatch South Gloucestershire have been gathering feedback about dental practice and treatment throughout the Coronavirus pandemic.

Our new mental health survey has been created with help from people who use Community Mental Health Services. Filling it in for yourself or loved ones will help us understand how services are working for those who need them the most.

An open letter outlining plans to get services back to their pre-pandemic levels but still ensure everyone’s safety has been released.

People are being warned to be more vigilant with 53 coronavirus cases reported in the last week in North Somerset. This means it has the highest number of cases per 100,000 people in the South West of 25. The national average is 15.

A new 24/7 phoneline to help people cope with the pressures of Covid-19 and beyond has been launched for people in the Bristol, North Somerset and South Glos region.

Communication needs to improve for patients as Lee, of Portishead, was kept waiting for months with a painful hernia. He had no idea if he was on a waiting list for an operation after #Covid-19 struck.

A new NHS centre to investigate the effects of race and ethnicity on people’s health has got the go ahead after Covid 19 helped to focus minds on the continuing problem of racism in medicine.

Older and more vulnerable people have told Healthwatch how they coped with coronavirus with many admitting their mental health had suffered and they often felt lonely.

First Do No Harm is a report published last week of the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review. Read more to learn more about the report, why it was commissioned and its findings.

We visited Horizon Health Centre, Weston, earlier this year to observe the practice on a working day and gather feedback from patients. We heard about difficulties getting appointments and have made recommendations to help patients.

We visited Graham Road surgery, Weston, earlier this year to observe the practice in action and talk to patients about their experiences of seeing a GP and further care or treatment. Read what we found and our recommendations for improvements.

Read our latest Annual Report for 2019/2020 - we expanded our geographical area and our staff team to make a difference to local health and care services. We take you through our highlights and achievements.