Your feedback March 2026

Your feedback March 2026

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Your NHS and social care feedback March 2026

Top issues

This month we heard about issues with hospital outpatients appointments including insufficient parking and poor communication. We also received feedback about difficulties accessing audiology services and GP appointments.

This month’s focus

This month we presented our first Stellar Award to the Hyperacute Stroke Unit team at Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital.

Our Stellar Awards celebrate the people and services who go the extra mile to provide positive health and social care experiences for people across Northumberland

We held our regular Here to Hear drop in sessions at Bedlington, Alnwick, Ashington, Morpeth and at Hexham General Hospital.

We also attended some additional face-to-face sessions at Northumberland County of Sanctuary in Ashington, the Meet and Eat session in Allendale, Hadston House, and Hexham Livestock Mart.

Throughout the month we promoted our Annual Survey and aim to publish the findings by the end of April.

This month’s online talk was from Autism in Mind which covered the support available for autistic adults. This was a very popular event, attracting our largest audience for 2025-26.

Positive feedback example

A woman and her husband came to our Hexham Here to Hear drop-in session to tell us that she had been in Haltwhistle hospital for ten days. She was very happy with the care she had experienced. The staff were very friendly and supportive and nothing was too much bother for them. Excellent service!

Tynedale resident

Negative feedback example

Discussion with member of the public who is an NHS hearing aid user. States that they are having long waits for appointments to get hearing aids tuned. Has not struggled so much with getting parts but appointments for tuning more of a problem and it can be a struggle with hearing properly in the meantime.

North Northumberland resident

Impact

We were recognised for our contribution to Northumberland County Council Director of Public Health’s annual report: “I would like to thank Public Health team members for their individual contributions and Healthwatch Northumberland for their valuable input into understanding healthcare access.”

Information and Signposting Service

We were able to help people find the information they need on a range of issues and services, including local hearing aid support clinics, sight loss support groups, hidden disability lanyards and homeless support.

Read more in our feedback summary for March 2026

Join us! As an Engagement Support Officer

Join us! As an Engagement Support Officer

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We’re recruiting for a part-time Engagement Support Officer to help us hear from people across Northumberland!

Hours: 7.5 hours per week (one day, pattern to be agreed)

Location: Hexham with travel across Northumberland as required

Salary: £20,931 – £23,132 pro-rata

Contract: 18-month fixed-term

Job purpose

To support our engagement activities, helping to gather and record the views and experiences of local people, particularly those from communities whose voices are not always heard, to inform improvements to health and social care services across Northumberland.

Key responsibilities

Community engagement

  • Support Healthwatch Northumberland engagement activities including workshops, surveys, community events and outreach sessions
  • Help gather residents’ views and experiences of health and social care services, ensuring engagement is inclusive and accessible
  • Represent Healthwatch Northumberland at community information events where appropriate
  • Support targeted outreach to communities and groups whose voices are not always represented, including people from rural areas, those with disabilities, and people from marginalised communities

Recording and reporting

  • Assist with accurately recording and inputting engagement feedback into relevant systems
  • Help compile engagement findings to support reporting and evidence to commissioners and decision makers
  • Maintain records in line with Adapt (NE)’s data protection and confidentiality policies – Adsapt (NE) is our umbrella organisation

Promotion and awareness

  • Help raise awareness of Healthwatch Northumberland, its role and how people can share their experiences
  • Distribute information and materials to community venues, partner organisations and networks
  • Work with Adapt (NE) colleagues and VCS partners to maximise reach, particularly in rural parts of Northumberland

Safeguarding

  • The post holder has a responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and/or vulnerable adults and must comply with all Adapt (NE) safeguarding policies and procedures.

Download the job description and person specification

If you require this document in another format, please get in touch.

This vacancy is now closed.

 

 

Stellar Awards winner announced

Stellar Awards winner announced

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We were delighted to present the first Stellar Award to the stroke unit staff on the Hyperacute Stroke Ward at Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital.

Healthwatch Northumberland Stellar Awards celebrate the people and services who provide a particularly positive health or social care experience for people in Northumberland.

The team were nominated by Stella from Northumberland in recognition of the exceptional, compassionate care provided for her late husband and the wider family. They felt they were supported with sensitivity, clear communication and dignity, and worked together to make an incredibly difficult time more manageable.

Our Engagement and Volunteering Officer, Lorna Beech, went along to present a certificate to the winning team.

Ward manager, Charlyn Lawton said: “The Stroke Team is so proud of this award. This shows how great the team is at working together to meet our patients’ and relatives’ expectations.”

We will be choosing another winner next month, so if you would like to make a nomination please complete the nomination form below.

Find out more and make your nomination for a Stellar Award

Nominate a care hero with Stellar Awards

Nominate a care hero with Stellar Awards

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Healthwatch Northumberland Stellar Awards celebrate the people and services who provide a particularly positive health or social care experience for people in Northumberland.

This could be:

  • An individual – either a professional or a volunteer
  • A team of people – for example, a hospital ward or a care home
  • A service – for example, ambulance service, a health or care support service

They could be working or volunteering in any NHS health or social care service within Northumberland, for example:

  • GP, pharmacy, dental and eyecare services
  • Community health/care services such as physiotherapy or mental health services
  • Hospitals, ambulance/transport services
  • Care homes or home care support
  • Patient support or social prescribing services

Winners will be presented with a Stellar Awards certificate, plus recognition on our website, social media channels and in our newsletter.

Find out more and make your nomination for a Stella Award

To share your experiences of any care you or your family have received recently, whether good or not so good, please leave feedback.
Your feedback February 2026

Your feedback February 2026

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Your NHS and social care feedback February 2026

Top issues

This month we heard negative feedback about the maternity and baby unit at Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital (NSECH). We received both positive and negative feedback about GP services. We also heard about issues with hospital outpatients appointments – mainly poor communication and long waits for an appointment.

This month’s focus

This month we held our regular Here to Hear drop in sessions in Alnwick, Morpeth and at Hexham General Hospital.

We have had additional in-person sessions at Northumberland County of Sanctuary in Ashington, Hexham Livestock Mart, and at Newbiggin Community Hub.

We were also invited to attend the Northern Cancer Voices event held at Cramlington Manor Walks, and we gave a talk about our services to the Age UK group in Ponteland.

Our online talk was given by Healthworks and was about women’s cancers.

We launched our Annual Survey this month, which asks ‘what matters to you?’ The results will help set our work priorities for the year ahead. You can leave feedback online until 31 March 2026.

Positive feedback example

A woman told us she was really happy with her GP surgery. They helped her stop vaping and continued to monitor her after stopping. They had also given her antibiotics when she had a chest infection.

Tynedale resident

Negative feedback example

A woman told us she was concerned about the reduction in podiatry services. She said they don’t just cut toenails but they provide a vital early detection service for conditions like diabetes. She said she is concerned that more health conditions will go undetected or not be picked up early with the new service levels.

Castle Morpeth resident

Impact

One of Northumberland County Council’s Locality Coordinators reported that she had taken our mental health booklets to Ashington College where they were well received and ‘picked up by a surprisingly high number of students’.

Information and Signposting Service

We were able to help people find the information they need on a range of issues and services, including cancer support groups, Parkinson’s support, care in the home and social prescribing.

Read more in our feedback summary for February 2026

Local hearing support drop-ins

Local hearing support drop-ins

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You can now get support with your hearing at local drop-in clinics run by RNID. The sessions offer hearing aid maintenance including supplies of batteries and tubing, information and support on hearing loss and basic hearing checks.

There are currently drop-in clinics in Alnwick, Berwick, Corbridge, Hexham, Morpeth and North Shields.

Please note the Corbridge drop-in has moved to Princes Street Church.

Search for a drop-in near you on the RNID website. No appointment needed.

Read our report Hearing what matters – experiences of audiology services in Northumberland to learn more about audiology services in Northumberland including our findings and recommendations.

Telecare Service consultation

Telecare Service consultation

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Northumberland County Council is proposing updates to the Telecare Service and would like to hear your views. The proposed changes include:

  • Introducing service charges
  • Ending the Mobile Warden Response Service in the former Blyth Valley area
  • Delivering Telecare on a monitoring only basis countywide
  • Introducing an installation charge for equipment fitted by the Warden Team

Read more about the proposals.

You do not need to currently be using the Telecare Service to have your say.

Share your views by Friday 17 April 2026.

If you would like a printed copy or need the consultation in an alternative format, please email telecare.consult@northumberland.gov.uk

Your feedback January 2026

Your feedback January 2026

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Your NHS and social care feedback January 2026

Top issues

This month we heard about long distances to travel to audiology appointments and oversubscribed audiology drop-in clinics. We also heard about GP services with some people telling us they received poor service and others had difficulty getting appointments.

This month’s focus

This month we held our Here to Hear public drop-in sessions in Blyth, Bedlington, Morpeth and at Hexham General Hospital. We also attended Northumberland County of Sanctuary’s session in Blyth, Hexham Livestock Mart, and Adapt (NE)’s Warm Space as additional sessions hearing from local communities.

We have been heavily involved with planning and delivering the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board’s end-of-life care planning engagement and Northumberland County Council’s Mental Health Needs Assessment.

Our online talk was delivered by Vision Northumberland for which we had a good audience.

Positive feedback example

A person told us that they received excellent care from a hospital ward team specialising in urology.

The person was first on the list for being operated on, and this happened promptly. The staff were extremely busy but still went out of their way to make time to chat with the patient. The anaesthetist made them feel at ease, even cracking jokes with them. The person was well cared for once out of theatre, provided with a good breakfast with added homely touches such as a teapot rather than just a mug of tea.

They were given clear information on discharge and about what would happen next regarding test results and a follow-up appointment. The staff made the whole process as positive as it could be.

Ashington, Blyth and Newbiggin resident

Negative feedback example

“The new audiology drop-in session in Morpeth, dealing with hearing aid checks, is totally oversubscribed and people are turned away on the third Monday of the month because the technician can only see 25 people in the session and it is not possible to make an appointment – first come, first served basis or just waiting to see if you can be seen at the end of the session.

“Getting tubes and lobes is exceedingly difficult. Personally I think the audiology department is a shambles.”

Castle Morpeth resident

Impact

We received an email from Head of Services and Support, Community Pharmacy North of Tyne: “Thanks, I had received a copy of the Pharmacy First report, which makes for interesting reading. It confirms our feeling that the older population is probably not as aware of the services offered by community pharmacy and the skills and knowledge that pharmacists have.

“We have already started to make contact with Age UK, etc. within Northumberland to start addressing this inequality.”

Information and Signposting Service

We were able to help people find the information they need on a range of issues and services, including GP practice registration, NHS complaints, benefits advice and scams awareness.

Read more in our feedback summary for January 2026

What matters to you?

What matters to you?

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When it comes to NHS and social care services, what matters to you? What has gone well, and where could improvements be made?

Tell us what matters to you and help shape our work for the year ahead. 

We’d like to know how satisfied you are with the NHS and social care services you’ve used over the past 12 months, in our short Annual Survey. We would also like you to help us set our work priorities for the coming year. Together we can help improve health and social care services for everyone in our community. 

Please take a few minutes to tell us your thoughts – this can be as a patient or carer. Your views will be shared anonymously.

What matters to you? Healthwatch Northumberland Annual Survey 2026

If you would prefer to give your views over the phone, please call us on 03332 408468 or text 07413 385275 to arrange a call back. 

Closing date is Tuesday 31 March 2026.

Trends in feedback July to December 2025

Trends in feedback July to December 2025

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Between July and December 2025, we received detailed feedback and/or requests for information from 310 people, from face-to-face events, telephone calls, emails, website queries and via social media. This was less than the previous six months (we heard from 417 people between January to June 2025) and less than the same period last year (388 people between July and December 2024).

The feedback we have received has been dominated by GP services, comprising just over a third (34%) of the feedback received in July to December 2025. This is up from the previous six months – 25% in January to June 2025.

The next most raised service was hospitals – outpatients (excluding audiology) which featured in 15% of feedback received, up a lot from the previous six-month period, when 4% of feedback was about this service.

After that, the next most raised services were: hospital – inpatients (8% of total feedback received), audiology (8%), and dentists (4%).

In July and December 2025, we signposted 84 people to different organisations for support which is 27% of the total detailed feedback received.. The three areas we had the most enquires about were:

1. Making a complaint (10% of the total requests for information)
2. Mental health support (8%)
3. Finding an NHS dentist (7%)

Despite more people leaving negative feedback about services in the last six months,  the long-term trend in the people’s perception and experiences of care services has improved.

We heard from a smaller proportion of people with a disability over the past six months than in the first half of 2025.

We heard from a smaller proportion of males in these past six months than we did in January to June 2025. This is a decrease from the high point (of 27% in July to December 2024) in the slow and steady improvement in the number of males we have had feedback from over the past two years. We are working to increase the number of males we hear from.

This half-year shows that we heard from more residents from the most deprived areas than from the least deprived areas.

The number of people from ethnic minority groups we hear from has improved and now just under 4% of total respondents are from non-white ethnic minorities – almost twice the proportion of Northumberland residents.

Read more our trends in feedback report for July to December 2025.