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The report from the first forum, held in February 2020. This forum supports and develops patient participation groups (PPGs) in Newcastle and Gateshead. -
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In 2019—2020 we focused on children and young people’s mental health services. Via a survey, focus group and one to one interviews, we heard from 239 people (103 children and young people and 136 parents and carers).
Our main findings were that children, young people and their parents and carers do not have a full understanding of what a self-referral is and how to make one. -
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We launched a survey in May 2020 titled ‘COVID-19: your experiences of health and social care’. This is the report on the responses we received up to the end of May. -
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This is the COVID report on the responses we received up to the end of June 2020. -
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This is the final COVID report on the responses we received up to the end of July 2020. -
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We ran a questionnaire during spring 2020 to find out how young people felt about the way health professionals treated them. We used ‘You’re Welcome’ criteria and feedback as guidance (quality criteria set out by the Department of Health and Social Care). -
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Our annual report for 2020–21 outlines our activities over the year to understand and improve people's experiences of social care and health services in Newcastle upon Tyne. -
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This report builds on our ‘Don’t box me in’ report. Young people and their parents/carers were asked how easy or difficult it was for young people to access health services in Newcastle and Gateshead. -
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Six GP practices in Outer West Newcastle - Denton Park Medical Group, Denton Turret Medical Group, Newburn Surgery, Parkway Medical Group, Throckley Primary Care Centre and Westerhope Medical Group - partnered with Healthwatch Newcastle to run a survey gathering patients’ views on additional services, accessing the practices and how COVID-19 affected their experience. -
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In early 2021 Healthwatch England designed a survey to help local services and national policymakers understand how they can improve the COVID-19 vaccination programme.
We used the survey to support local services to adapt and improve the delivery of the vaccination programme locally. -
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Our annual report for 2021–22 outlines Healthwatch activities over the year to understand and improve people's experiences of social care and health services in Newcastle upon Tyne. -
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It has been a contractual requirement for each GP practice since April 2016 to have an active and involved Patient Participation Group (PPG).
We set out to create a best practice award for PPGs aimed to increase and improve the involvement of patients in their GP practice. Several GP practices in Newcastle and Gateshead participated in our pilot from autumn 2019 to February 2021. This interim report outlines what we did. -
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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. This report outlines our collective survey findings from March 2020 to January 2022. -
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We wanted to gain a greater understanding of people’s experiences of caring during the COVID-19 pandemic and in accessing information and support. We included a short evaluation for people who had used Newcastle Carers’ services. -
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We compared the findings from two surveys of carers — one in Newcastle and one in North Tyneside. Our report looks at the similarities and differences in carers' needs in the two local authority areas during the COVID-19 pandemic. -
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This is a copy of our Record Keeping and Retention Policy -
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Our Safeguarding policies outline what our processes and steps are to ensure the safeguarding of children and adults we engage with. -
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Our Whistleblowing policy is intended to assist staff and volunteers who believe they have discovered malpractice or wrongdoing within Tell Us North, by enabling them to raise their concerns in a responsible and effective manner. -
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Healthwatch Gateshead and Healthwatch Newcastle recently engaged with local residents to understand experiences and opinions of the North East Ambulance Service. We wanted to understand public perceptions of the service, what trust means to the public, and overall levels of trust felt towards NEAS.
Overall, feedback was positive, however, most of those we consulted felt that they could not fully trust NEAS. Specific elements of trust were identified and included:
- Reliability, Availability, and Responsiveness
- Delivering a High Standard of Care
- Integrity and the Alignment of Words & Actions
- Patients’ Safety
Our full report is available to read here
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Healthwatch Newcastle (HWN) engaged with autistic people and people with a learning disability to understand their experiences accessing and using GP services in Newcastle. GP Practice Managers across Newcastle were invited to share information around their processes for requesting and implementing reasonable adjustments and their capacity to make requested adjustments. Read our full report here :- -
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Health and Social Care Committee inquiry into
NHS Dentistry Submission -
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Healthwatch Newcastle engaged with local people to understand their experiences booking and
receiving all of their Coronavirus vaccination(s). The project was prompted by feedback from a
small number of local residents who shared their experiences of the Coronavirus vaccination
process. Read the full report here :- -
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Read our annual report and all that we have done through the year as your local Healthwatch. -
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This policy applies to all relevant decisions made by Tell Us North, Healthwatch Newcastle and Healthwatch Gateshead. -
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Minutes of the committee meeting held on 24th May 2023 -
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Minutes of committee meeting held on 16th August 2023 -
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Healthwatch Gateshead and Healthwatch Newcastle undertook a joint research project to engaged with retirement-age residents of Gateshead and Newcastle to understand their experiences of loneliness and isolation. The project focused on three key areas including:
• Any factors people felt contributed to feelings of loneliness & isolation and its prevalence in people’s lives.
• Awareness and use of local services that focused on reducing loneliness and isolation.
• What worked well and areas for development.
We collected data from the survey from January 2023 to April 2023, and circulated both a digital survey and a paper-based survey format.
The key findings are:
• Loneliness can occur to anyone, and in particularly felt by those aged between 65 and 74, are women, and are carers.
• Loneliness is not simply a symptom of getting older but is instead prevalent when the needs of older people are not effectively taken care of. This is especially important in terms of access and mobility, including travel routes and venues for activities.
• Loneliness is something often felt for a long period of time and felt more actively in those aged between 65 and 74, possibly due to recent retirement and bereavement.
• Social activities are often the most successful in engaging older people, and community-based groups are well-received.
• Users who engage with some services are more likely to engage with multiple, services though there is a high rate of respondents here who do not participate at all.
• Key issues preventing potential users from engaging with services are poor transport options and a lack of development of local facilities.
• There is interest in specific activities, like physical fitness and arts activities for some people within some communities.
Our key recommendations are:
• Support those leaving the workforce in adjusting to the changes that retirement brings.
• Work with communities to create community action plans to make sure local facilities are being utilised effectively and for the benefit of local communities.
• Improve service infrastructure to ensure maximum reach and accessibility
• Establish a focus group or engagement group to help services better understand how to reach older people. -
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The sudden rise in energy prices and accompanying increase in inflation in 2022 led to a big leap in the cost of living for people in the UK and wage growth since summer 2021 had not kept pace with inflation. Added to this, inflation has been higher in essential goods and services such as food prices. The cost-of-living crisis has dropped out of the news over the summer, but Citizens Advice Bureau Newcastle reports that there has been no drop-off in requests for support, especially around financial matters, and material support. -
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Minutes of committee meeting held on 08 November 2023