1. Report -

    Our complaints process outlines how to make a complaint about us and our approach to making sure complaints are resolved.
  2. Report -

    A concern about the impact of the COVID-19 related lockdowns of 2020—21,was a recognition that restrictions had made life particularly difficult for families experiencing domestic abuse. Healthwatch Newcastle's Committee chose this as a priority piece of work to explore in greater detail.
  3. Report -

    The NHS Long Term Plan introduced targets to ensure GP practices offer an annual health check for people with learning disabilities.

    People with learning disabilities can have poorer physical and mental health than others and die younger. Annual health checks can provide a way to detect, treat and prevent new and unmet health conditions. Care for ongoing conditions can also be reviews during the annual check.
  4. Report -

    Healthwatch teams across the North East region saw a significant increase in concerns about accessing NHS dental care during 2021. Eight local Healthwatch worked together to gather people’s experiences in the region. We published a report outlining our collective survey findings from March 2020 to January 2022.
  5. Report -

    In March 2022 HWG and HWN launched a survey to gather young people’s views and general experiences of loneliness and social isolation.
  6. Report -

    Agendas, notes, and minutes for our committee meetings and annual general meetings.
  7. Report -

    Agendas, notes, and minutes for our committee meetings and annual general meeting.
  8. Report -

    Agendas, notes, and minutes for our committee meetings and annual general meeting.
  9. Report -

    Agendas, notes, and minutes for our committee meetings and annual general meeting.
  10. Report -

    Agendas, notes, and minutes for our committee meetings and annual general meeting.
  11. Report -

    Agendas, notes, and minutes for our committee meetings and annual general meeting.
  12. Report -

    Agendas, notes, and minutes for our committee meetings and annual general meeting.
  13. Report -

    Agendas, notes, and minutes for our committee meetings and annual general meeting.
  14. Report -

    Agendas, notes, and minutes for our committee meetings and annual general meeting.
  15. Report -

    The 2013–14 annual report outlines how we work with Newcastle communities and statutory and voluntary and community organisations to ensure “outstanding social care and health services for all”. You can read about all our activities, including how our volunteers helped us with GP ‘mystery shopping’ and how we gathered local opinions and experiences of health and social care. A summary of this annual report is also available.
  16. Report -

    Between December 2013 and September 2014 our Champions carried out mystery shopping in GP practices throughout Newcastle. The aim was to find out the information GP practices gave about their procedures for compliments, comments and complaints, how clear that information was and how easy it was to find.

  17. Report -

    In the early autumn of 2014 we carried out a mystery shopper exercise on the NHS Choices GP profile pages for the 35 GP practices in Newcastle upon Tyne.
  18. Report -

    The annual report for 2014–15 sets out how we have continued to build on our commitment to outstanding social care and health services for all in Newcastle upon Tyne, it also outlines our refreshed strategic priorities and key goals for 2015–16.
  19. Report -

    This Elders Council of Newcastle report presents the findings of a December 2015 event where people discussed their expectations of home care services. The event was held in partnership with Newcastle City Council and Healthwatch Newcastle.
  20. Report -

    From late 2014 to early 2015 our young people’s group researched the attitudes of 13—25 year olds to dental care in Newcastle. Initial research by the group had found that children and young people thought there was a particular lack of information about eligibility for dental services.
  21. Report -

    On 3 June 2015, Healthwatch Newcastle and Healthwatch Gateshead teamed up with the Regional Refugee Forum (RRF) to hold an event for asylum seekers and refugees in Newcastle and Gateshead. The event was designed to give RRF members the opportunity to tell us about the unique and distinctive health and wellbeing issues affecting them. A follow up event was held on 15 October 2015.
  22. Report -

    This listening event in November 2015 enabled people to meet and talk with the organisations that plan and provide local social care and health services.
  23. Report -

    From July to December 2015 we carried out research into what people want when booking a GP appointment in Newcastle. A discrete choice experiment survey was developed in partnership with Northumbria University.
  24. Report -

    From October to December 2015 we asked service users, their carers and relatives, and also social workers, what they thought about home care services in Newcastle. We also interviewed the commissioners of home care services and met with several local voluntary and community sector organisations.
  25. Report -

    We held a highly successful first conference in March 2015. ‘There’s more to Healthwatch than health’ enabled us to gain valuable insights and information about local social care provision and experiences. Delegates also helped shape Healthwatch Newcastle social care priorities for 2015-16.
  26. Report -

    Our annual report for 2015–16 describes the work we have done over the last year to understand and improve people's experiences of social care and health services in Newcastle upon Tyne.
  27. Report -

    From September 2015 to January 2016 our young people’s group designed and delivered a mental health questionnaire aimed at young people in the 13—25 age range. The aim was to get a better understanding of the main issues young people face regarding mental health, and if schools and colleges are offering enough support to young people around these issues.
  28. Report -

    In spring 2016 we carried out a mystery shopper exercise on the NHS Choices dentist profile pages for the 42 dental practices in Newcastle upon Tyne.
  29. Report -

    This listening event in July 2016 enabled people to meet and talk with the organisations that plan and provide local social care and health services.
  30. Report -

    Following the publication our ‘GP appointments: what do Newcastle patients want?’ report we wanted to better understand how people define the term ‘urgent’ and whether they define it differently in different circumstances.
    We collaborated with Healthwatch Gateshead to carry out a short survey with the public in our respective local authority areas during the summer and autumn of 2016.
  31. Report -

    In autumn 2016, we were invited by the North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (NEAS) to carry out some research on the organisation’s behalf. The purpose was to hear views and experiences of NEAS services and also investigate the barriers that Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities face.
  32. Report -

    During the summer and autumn of 2016 we gathered people’s experience of education, health and care (EHC) plans in Newcastle. This report on the findings includes 12 recommendations.
  33. Report -

    Throughout autumn 2016 we asked care home residents, relatives, and care home managers how residents are involved in decisions about their own care and in how their care home is run. Our report identifies best practice in various cares homes in Newcastle.
  34. Report -

    We presented some major research projects, including local home care services, people’s preference when making a GP appointment and young people’s attitude to dental care, inviting people to think about the next steps. Delegates also shortlisted Healthwatch Newcastle’s priorities for 2016—17.
  35. Report -

    During late 2015 and early 2016 we carried out a large scale survey of service users, carers and relatives, and home care workers to gather their feedback on various aspects of home care services. Newcastle City Council took on board six of our ten recommendations when drawing up new care provider contracts.
  36. Report -

    This annual report covers our research into residents' involvement in care homes and the experiences of children and young people's with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
  37. Report -

    During January 2017 we ran two pilot focus groups at HMP Durham. The aim was to help staff better understand male prisoners’ experiences of health and wellbeing and look at new ways of engaging with prisoners to gather their opinions.
  38. Report -

    During spring 2017, in collaboration with Newcastle Eye Centre, we gathered the feedback of service users on eye services run by Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
  39. Report -

    During summer 2017 we asked people receiving intermediate care about their experiences and if they felt these services had a positive impact on their wellbeing.
  40. Report -

    This was the first joint conference between Healthwatch Newcastle and Healthwatch Gateshead. We discussed our recent research, which included looking at people’s experience of education, health and care (EHC) plans in Newcastle and at how residents are involved in decisions about their own care and in how their care home is run.

    Delegates also shortlisted Healthwatch Newcastle’s priorities for 2017—18.
  41. Report -

    Our annual report detailing our work for the financial year 2017-18.
  42. Report -

    During autumn 2017 Healthwatch Gateshead and Healthwatch Newcastle gathered the views and experiences from people, and their carers, who have been through the NHS continuing healthcare (CHC) process.
  43. Report -

    Throughout the autumn of 2017 we asked people in Newcastle why they do or do not take part in screening programmes, what the barriers are to taking part, and how these barriers could be overcome.
  44. Report -

    The take up of flu vaccinations in Newcastle for people aged 65 and over is above the national target of 75%. However, for other people considered at risk, it is below the national target of 75%. Towards the end of 2017 we gathered the views of people living in Newcastle (who are over the age of 65 or considered at risk) about the flu vaccination.
  45. Report -

    This joint conference between Healthwatch Newcastle and Healthwatch Gateshead examined the principles, approaches and methods we use to engage with the public.

    Delegates also shortlisted Healthwatch priorities for 2018—19.
  46. Report -

    Our annual report detailing our work for the financial year 2018-19.
  47. Report -

    We estimate that around 2,600 people in Newcastle are housebound. During autumn 2018 we investigated how easy it was for housebound people to use GP practice, dentist, optician or pharmacy services in the city.
  48. Report -

    Throughout the autumn and winter of 2018 we gathered the views and experiences of groups and communities on mental health services in Newcastle and Gateshead.
  49. Report -

    During spring 2019 communities across the North East spoke about how they would like to see the NHS Long Term Plan implemented. We spoke to people in Newcastle about what the changes should look like. The responses for Newcastle were included in this report covering Northumberland, Tyne and Wear and County Durham.
  50. Report -

    Our annual report detailing our work for the financial year 2019-20.