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See how we work out the main health and care priorities for North Somerset from your feedback. Our meeting at 11:30am on November 16 is where we action your comments or concerns with providers to ensure what you tell us makes a difference. -
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The Care Quality Commission has published its latest report on community mental health services for children and young people, and hospital wards for older adults, provided by Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust. -
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People are now being advised to take a lateral flow test before 'high risk situations', such as being in crowded spaces, and before visiting anyone who may be at a higher risk of severe illness if they get COVID-19. -
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Staff at Southmead Hospital need your feedback to find how patient care at their A&E department can be improved. If you've attended A&E as a walk-in during November or December 2021, you can help by filling in our anonymous survey. -
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All Healthwatch Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire (BNSSG) staff, Board members and volunteers are required to identify and disclose activities and relationships that might give rise to conflicts of interest. -
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£50 million will be made available to the NHS in England to allow people suffering from oral pain, disease, and infection to get the care they need. £4,726,000 has been allocated to the South West. -
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The Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group said the changes will mean fewer people die or experience long-term disability following a stroke. Services are expected to be fully in place from November 2022. -
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The NHS in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire is encouraging people to contact NHS 111 for help with urgent but not life-threatening medical needs, rather than going straight to local A&E departments.
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See how we work out the main health and care priorities for North Somerset from your feedback. Our meeting at 12:00pm on February 15 is where we action your comments or concerns with providers to ensure what you tell us makes a difference. -
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Howards Motor Group said they wanted to make a "meaningful financial contribution to their incredible efforts". The Safe Haven provides mental health support and a safe space for people in acute emotional distress. Image © Mark Simmons Photography. -
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Co-production is a way of working that recognises that everyone has a contribution to make. Our goal is to involve people in the planning and designing of our research and project work right from the beginning. -
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North Bristol NHS Trust asked us to carry out a survey with people attending A&E at Southmead Hospital. We found that the management of people's long-term conditions in the community needs to improve, to reduce some of the pressure on A&E. -
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Many people are able to recover from COVID-19 at home. If you are at a higher risk of developing severe illness from COVID-19, you may be eligible for a free pulse oximeter to monitor your health and ensure you can get medical care if you need it. -
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The NHS in Weston-super-Mare, Worle and surrounding areas is asking local people to respond to a survey about its vision and ambition to secure Weston General Hospital as a thriving hospital at the heart of the community. -
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Our collaborative research with Bristol Health Partners' Bladder and Bowel CONfidence Health Integration Team (BABCON HIT) found that one in three people who use bladder and bowel services had been affected by changes to these services during COVID. -
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This protocol recognises that Healthwatch acts as an independent consumer voice for people who use health and social care services. -
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Practice Plus Group - NHS 111 South West, who have a contact centre in Bristol and answer NHS 111 calls from people across the South West, were found to be safe, effective, caring, responsive, and well-led by the Care Quality Commission. -
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On the February 15 2022, our Prioritisation Panel came together to discuss the health and social care issues you've raised, and what Healthwatch North Somerset can do to bring about change. -
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GPs offer a range of health services, including advice about physical and mental health, treatment, and prescriptions for medicines. To register with a GP, you don't need a fixed address, proof of your immigration status, or identification. -
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Safeguarding is the responsibility of everyone. Healthwatch Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire (BNSSG) will work together to prevent and minimise abuse, and protect vulnerable adults, children and young people from harm. -
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Healthwatch England has responded to the Independent Review of Maternity Services at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, led by Donna Ockenden. The review examined almost 1,600 clinical incidents and found repeated failures in care. -
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See how we work out the main health and care priorities for North Somerset from your feedback. Our meeting at 12:00pm on May 17 is where we action your comments or concerns with providers to ensure what you tell us makes a difference. -
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Unpaid carers told us about the support and services they would like to see included in North Somerset Council's Carers Strategy 2021 - 2024. This report was co-produced with North Somerset Parent Carers Working Together and the Alzheimer's Society. -
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Doctors, nurses and other health professionals have worked with the public and staff to draw up plans for the future of Weston General Hospital. The public have the opportunity to share their feedback at a range of public engagement events. -
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Your feedback helps us influence positive change and encourages the improvement of local NHS health and social care services. Take a look at everything we've been up to throughout 2021/2022. -
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On the May 17 2022, our Prioritisation Panel came together to discuss the health and social care issues you've raised, and how Healthwatch North Somerset can influence positive change. -
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That’s the question being asked by the new Integrated Care System (ICS) for Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire, as it launches a wide-ranging public engagement exercise to shape priorities for health and care in the years ahead. -
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As a local Healthwatch, we are able to visit health and social care services (such as hospitals and GP surgeries) and see them in action. This is called 'Enter and View'. Our goal is to identify what's working well and where improvements are needed. -
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Disabled people and people with sensory loss have a legal right to get health and social care information in a way that's accessible for them. Yet Healthwatch England has found one in five people struggle to understand the information they receive. -
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Learn about the NHS app, how to order prescriptions, view test results, book GP appointments, and access online consultations at one of our free digital skills workshops. You'll receive 1:1 support and be able to ask questions. -
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Children and young people told us they needed better mental health support in schools. We identified that there were gaps in service provision. Now, Mental Health Support Teams are being introduced to secondary schools across the local area. -
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Thanks to people sharing their their feedback about Graham Road Surgery with us, we've helped the surgery identify the issues that are negatively affecting patients and make changes in order to improve the quality of care. -
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See how we work out the main health and care priorities for North Somerset from your feedback. Our meeting at 12pm on August 16 is where we action your comments or concerns with providers to ensure what you tell us makes a difference. -
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A new directory of local and national resources to support people living with dementia, their carers, and their support networks has been put together by a team of experts. It covers often overlooked issues, such as emotional and wellbeing support. -
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People from diverse, often-unheard cultural backgrounds told us about their experiences of looking after a loved one. None considered themselves to be carers, and therefore were not receiving any support from local health and social care services. -
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The Care Quality Commission found that Graham Road did not always provide care in a way that kept patients safe, and Horizon Health Centre did not have complete risk assessments or vaccination records for staff. -
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The hospital was rated 'inadequate' in June 2021 by the Care Quality Commission, after the independent regulator of health and social care in England raised concerns over patient safety. -
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Technology can make it easier to access information and care, but can also pose challenges for those without the skills or confidence to use the internet. Here are all the places you can get digital support in North Somerset. -
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The GP Patient Survey is an England-wide survey, providing data about patients’ experiences of their GP practices. It asks about issues such as making an appointment, getting through to your GP practice on the phone, and access to online services. -
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The Care Quality Commission is the independent regulator of health and social care in England. Their latest report sets out the challenges the NHS and social care sector face: 'the health and care system is gridlocked, unable to operate effectively.' -
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People who are eligible for the service can receive a free blood pressure check without needing to book an appointment at their pharmacy. The check takes 10-15 minutes and carried out by a pharmacist. -
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A public living room is somewhere people can go to stay warm and have a hot drink as the cost of living crisis continues. North Somerset Council has mapped the public living rooms opening over the coming weeks.
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The Care Quality Commission says people with a learning disability and autistic people "continue to face barriers when accessing health care and treatment" after collecting people’s experiences from 8 hospital trusts in England. -
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The North Somerset Deaf Awareness Partnership surveyed the d/Deaf community, asking which services are and are not deaf aware. Call centres and the Audiology Department at Weston General Hospital were among those that were found to be not deaf aware. -
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If you're a patient at either surgery, we'd like to hear about your experience. How easy is it to book an appointment? Are you happy with the care you've received? Let us know by completing our short survey. -
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Have you given birth since April 2020? Did you experience any mental health issues or emotional challenges such as low mood before getting pregnant? We'd like to hear your story and find out if you got the support you needed from the NHS. -
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Earlier this year, the local Integrated Care Board asked residents for feedback on what keeps us all well, what support we need, and what barriers to keeping well exist. Here's what you said. -
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A hate crime is any crime that the victim or anyone else things was motivated by hostility or prejudice based on a person's race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or gender identity. -
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The number of people avoiding an NHS appointment because they can’t afford travel almost doubled between October and December as the cost of living crisis is forcing many to change how they use health and care services. -
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In 2022-23, we supported more than 1000 people and held almost 150 learning sessions to help older adults learn about the NHS app and develop the skills to order prescriptions, view test results, book GP appointments, and access online consultations.