1. What to expect when waiting for care

    Advice and Information -

    Waiting for planned medical care or surgery can be a frustrating time. That’s why it’s so important that while you wait, you get regular, clear and accessible updates so that you can plan your next steps.

  2. What should I expect after being referred for mental health support?

    Advice and Information -

    Your mental wellness is as important as your physical health but seeking help can be daunting. Here's what to expect when you seek support for your mental health.

  3. What is adult social care?

    Advice and Information -

    Do you or a loved one need help with social care? Read the article below and find out answers to key questions about who can access adult social care and how to pay for it.

  4. Start breathing this Stoptober

    Blog -

    In 2012 adults around 459,000 adults smoked in the North East. Now it’s around 325,000 – a drop of around 134,000.

  5. Volunteering can help save lives!

    Blog -

    Volunteering with Healthwatch can help develop skills, gain experience and make a difference. Volunteers play a vital role in helping people have their say on health and social care.

  6. Our new report on services for children and young people affected by domestic abuse

    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.

  7. Dental services in Newcastle and Gateshead - survey

    Blog -

    Have you used dental services in Newcastle and Gateshead since March 2020?

  8. Healthwatch Newcastle/Gateshead AGM

    Blog -

    Our joint Annual General Meeting with Healthwatch Gateshead is being held to celebrate our recent work

  9. Plan B to tackle the spread of the Omicron variant

    Blog -

    The government has announced a Plan B for England to tackle the spread of the Omicron variant. What does that mean for us?

  10. Don't forget to order your repeat prescriptions

    Blog -

    With Christmas just around the corner, we're reminding patients to order and collect repeat prescriptions in good time for the holiday period.

  11. COVID-19 update - 23 December 2021

    Blog -

    The discovery of the Omicron variant led the government to recently announce a new vaccination challenge. The Prime Minister set out a commitment that all adults in England would be offered a booster jab by the end of the year. However, even with the additional protection that vaccine boosters will give, the threat from Omicron remains serious.

  12. Healthwatch Newcastle Committee meetings and AGM 2021

    Report -

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

  13. Annual report 2020-21

    Report -

    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.

  14. Children and young people’s access to health services in Gateshead and Newcastle

    Report -

    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.

  15. Newcastle Outer West PCN patient survey

    Report -

    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.

  16. What people think about the COVID19 vaccine

    Report -

    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.

  17. Top tips to get the most out of your GP appointment

    Advice and Information -

    Do you struggle to speak to your doctor about your medical concerns? You’re not alone. Take a look at our top tips to make the most out of your GP appointment.