News and reports

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.