News and reports

Home from Hospital is a free service. It provides practical and emotional support to older people returning home from hospital in Newcastle. Support is flexible and tailored to a person's individual needs.

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.

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.

Did you know that dental practices are set up within the NHS in a completely different way to GP practices? There is no formal patient registration to see a dentist.

Healthwatch and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) are working together to hear your experiences of health and social care.

We know some people feel anxious or worried when they’re told they need a colonoscopy but it’s important to have this test if you’re referred. Bowel Cancer UK has launched the Colonoscopy Confidence campaign to explain what a colonoscopy is, why it matters and encourage people to attend their appointment.

We’re supporting Cervical Cancer Prevention Week 17-23 January and encouraging women and people with a cervix not to ignore their invitation.  Did you know, one in three eligible people don't attend cervical screening? It’s a test that saves lives.

Did you know that the age group most likely to experience loneliness is between 16 to 24 years old?

The Accessible Information Standard is mandatory for all organisations that provide National Health Service (NHS) or adult social care.

If you have COVID-19 symptoms, you can take a PCR test by booking online at www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test or calling 119 between 7am and 11pm and self-isolate until you get your results

From 11 January 2022, people who receive positive lateral flow (LFD) results for COVID-19 will have to self-isolate immediately and won’t be required to take a confirmatory PCR test.

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.