Your feedback June 2025

Your feedback June 2025

/in , /by

Your NHS and social care feedback June 2025

Top issues

This month we heard good things about the care received at GP surgeries, but also that it can take time to get an appointment. You also told us about communication issues with services, and that you were sometimes having to travel long distances to hospital appointments.

This month’s focus 

We held drop-in sessions at our usual Here to Hear venues plus Seaton Sluice Community Centre. We also went to Allendale Village Hall for the meet and eat session, the Work Smart, Live Well event at Cramlington, Berwick and Borders Carers’ event, and the public drop-in session for Felton surgery.

Our online talk was from the ME Association on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and got a very good reception from those that came along to learn more about these conditions.

Our Annual Report 2024-25 – ‘Unlocking the power of people-driven care’ which highlights how we’ve made a difference over the past year.

Positive feedback example

A person told us that, having been discharged from a larger hospital where they hadn’t been pleased with the service, they were then in a smaller, local hospital where they say the level of personal care was notably better. Staff were very attentive, watching patients and ensuring their safety whilst moving about to go to the bathroom etc. They reported the food as being excellent, with several choices.

The hospital arranged for an Occupational Therapist to visit their home whilst they were in hospital and by the time they arrived home via ambulance (also arranged by the hospital), hand rails and other safety
features had already been fitted.

Tynedale resident

Negative feedback example

A member of public who recently had a Covid-19 spring booster told us they’d had a reminder through post, However, this did not say where to go for a vaccination. They tried local pharmacy then GP surgery to see if they could get the vaccination there, but neither offered the service.
They found a pharmacy in Seaton Delaval which provided a walk-in service. The person didn’t try to call 119 to ask where could get the jab and is not online, so they just tried local services first.
They were surprised that the services did not tell him where he could go or that the invitation letter did not include this useful information.
Cramlington, Bedlington and Seaton Valley resident
Impact

“I thought today was really informative. I especially loved that once you have ME/CFS other symptoms of further illnesses are not picked up! I invited my uncle who’s a retired medic with a daughter with this; he’s been fighting for support for her for a long while! He’s going to get in touch with Russell direct. A great approach from someone with lived experience, thank you!”.

Feedback from attendee of June’s online talk by ME Association.

Information and Signposting Service

We were able to help people find the information they need on a range of issues and services, including NHS dentists, continence services, hearing aid batteries’ collection points, NHS complaints, paediatric first aid courses and transport to cancer care appointments.

Read more in our feedback summary for June 2025.

Free event – Living with a stoma

Free event – Living with a stoma

/in , , /by

Find out more about the support available to people living with a stoma at this free online event with Colostomy UK on Friday 8 August, 1pm-2pm. We will hear from Shauna Hemphill, Community Engagement Lead for Colostomy UK.

What is Colostomy UK?

Colostomy UK is a national charity that supports anyone impacted by living with a stoma. They offer practical advice, information, emotional support, and empowering opportunities. Colostomy UK works to raise awareness, tackle stigma, and influence positive change in healthcare and societal attitudes.

Understanding life with a stoma

Shauna from Colostomy UK will explain what a stoma is, why someone might need one, and the different types of stomas. She will also explore the wide-ranging impacts that living with a stoma can have—not just physically, but emotionally and socially to tackle misconceptions and stoma stigma.

We hope to be joined by a Colostomy UK volunteer with lived experience to share their journey and experiences of living with a stoma.

Support for health and social care professionals

Colostomy UK supports health and social care professionals to improve the experiences of people living with a stoma in those settings, and improve overall care. This ranges from resources and training, to working collaboratively to improve support.

This talk is suitable for professionals or members of the public wishing to know more about life with a stoma.

There will be an opportunity to ask questions after the talk.

This event has now passed.

Sign up to our newsletter to hear about future events or catch up with previous events on our online events page.

Young people and mental health

Young people and mental health

/in , , /by

A group of sixth-form students from the Queen Elizabeth High School in Hexham have been leading a research project alongside Healthwatch Northumberland, investigating the provision of mental health support information for young people in Northumberland.

The students led the project themselves, designing surveys, analysing the responses and writing a final report.

They have also supported Healthwatch Northumberland in creating a new young people’s support webpage, researching information to include on the page and helping to promote it.

Read the students’ final report

Visit the new young people’s support webpage

Our visits to local care homes

Our visits to local care homes

/in , /by

Purpose of the visits

When Healthwatch was established in 2012 we were given the power to ‘Enter and View’ health and social care premises as a way of engaging with people and gathering feedback.

In 2022 as part of our work to increase public understanding of care homes, we produced a guide of simple things to be done to help people settle into care home life.

We want to build on this to explain the day-to-day experiences of care home residents and their families. Our aim is to identify and showcase good practice as well as suggested areas, which might enhance how the service is delivered, exploring what is working well and areas that may be improved, so key themes may be shared and to give useful insights to potential residents and their relatives.

In summer 2024 we visited three of the four care homes owned and run by HC-One in Northumberland. These were Acomb Court in Hexham, Ashington Grange, and Foxton Court in Morpeth. We visited the fourth, Hartford Court, in May 2025.

These were planned and announced visits to observe and obtain information. The reports relate only to the Healthwatch Northumberland teams’ observations during the time of the visit and is not a representative or comprehensive portrayal of the experiences of all service users and staff. It is an account of what was observed and contributed at the time.

Healthwatch Enter and View visits are not intended to specifically identify safeguarding issues but in the event such concerns should arise, they would be reported in accordance with Healthwatch safeguarding policies. Any concerns would be reported to the team lead and the service manager informed, concluding the visit.

Planning and preparation

Derry Nugent, the Project Lead for Healthwatch Northumberland, produced and discussed a brief for the visit with the care home managers and Graeme McConnell HC-One’s Area Director.

To prepare for the visits all Healthwatch Authorised Representatives attended Enter and View training and briefings to ensure they understood Healthwatch Northumberland’s remit, the purpose and context of the visit, guidelines for how to proceed in a care setting and had the skills to effectively engage with residents and family members.

We sent letters to the home in advance for residents and relatives of residents to explain the purpose of the visit, date and time of the visit and links to an online survey. We provided posters to display in the home. Residents and relatives had access to an online survey or paper version if they were unable to be present or preferred to give feedback this way.

Our findings

Thank you to all of the staff, residents and relatives who helped us with this piece of work. You can read our findings and recommendations, plus the care homes’ responses, below.

Acomb Court Care Home Enter and View visit August 2024

 

Ashington View Care Home Enter and View visit August 2024

 

Foxton Court Care Home Enter and View visit August 2024

Hartford Court Care Home Enter and View visit May 2025

 

 

Free event – Prostate Cancer UK

Free event – Prostate Cancer UK

/in , , /by

Find out more about prostate cancer at our free online event on Friday 11 July, 1pm-2pm, with Gil and Cathie, volunteers with Prostate Cancer UK.

The talk will cover risks, possible signs and symptoms, diagnosis and some treatment pathways.

We will also learn about support available from the charity if you are concerned, newly diagnosed or you or a family member or friend is living with prostate cancer. You will hear Gil and Cathie’s own personal experiences.

Please note the session is not intended to provide medical advice.

This talk is suitable for professionals or members of the public wishing to know more about prostate cancer. There will be an opportunity to ask questions after the talk.

This event has now passed.

Sign up to our newsletter to hear about future events or catch up with previous events on our online events page.

Annual Report 2024-25

Annual Report 2024-25

/in , /by

Unlocking the power of people-driven care

Healthwatch Northumberland Annual Report 2024-25

This year people came to us over 10,000 times for clear information on topics such as mental health services and the cost of living support through our website, at our in-person events or by telephone or email.

We published 22 reports about the improvements people would like to see in areas like health visiting, women’s health and care homes. Our most popular report was on health visiting services which looked at people’s awareness of how to access the service and what it offers, whether they were routinely accessing the service, as well as how happy people were with the support provided.

How we’ve made a difference this year

  • To ensure we were hearing from all parts of the county, we attended events across rural Northumberland, and were regular visitors to Hexham Livestock Auction Mart
  • We presented our work on autistic children and young people’s experiences of mental health support to Healthwatch England, ensuring your feedback was heard at national level and used to influence change
  • To help people get the most out of their GP appointment, we produced a handy guide with useful tips, explanations of staff roles at GP surgeries, and different ways to access healthcare
  • Our popular ‘cost of living support for people in Northumberland’ booklet was translated into six other languages, so it could be of use to more communities across the county
  • As well as supporting mental health events organised by the council, we put together a printed guide to the mental health services and support available to local people
  • We worked with Northumberland County Council to gather experiences and help shape the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment
  • We asked people with Parkinson’s to have their say on the NHS 10-Year Plan. The group welcomed the idea of Community Diagnostic Centres but said that an accessible roving van service might be better for those in rural areas
  • Our monthly online information sessions continued to be popular with local people. This year we heard about issues including domestic abuse, kidney care, macular degeneration and substance misuse

Working together for change

We’ve worked with neighbouring Healthwatch to ensure people’s experiences of care in Northumberland are heard at the Integrated Care System level, and they influence decisions made about services in the North East and North Cumbria.

This work includes listening to people’s dental care challenges. The Integrated Care Board’s new action plan includes stabilising services, additional investment for out-of-hours treatment, the establishment of Urgent Dental Access Centres and working with partners to improve recruitment, retention, and training of staff. We continue to work closely with the Integrated Care Board as new ways of working are developed.

We worked with North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) and Local Healthwatch to understand people’s experiences and expectations of its services including ambulances and paramedics, patient transport, 999 call handling and NHS 111.As well as a region-wide survey, we gathered more in-depth feedback from individuals and groups in Northumberland about experiences and expectations of services and how they could improve. This feedback was welcomed by NEAS and will inform its clinical strategy.

Making a difference in the community

We bring people’s experiences to health and social care professionals and decision-makers, using their feedback to shape services and improve care over time.

Now in its second year, the Adult Social Care People’s Panel is going strong and shows that service providers and service users working together can make a big difference. Panel members advised about improvements needed to public information about adult social care on the council’s website, making it easier for the public to find this vital information.  They also attended training for social care staff to give their experience of using services and especially on how Carer’s Assessments are carried out. This directly acted as a sounding board for Northumberland County Council’s Adult Social Care function as it prepared for its Care Quality Commission inspection
We like to think this helped achieve the ‘Good’ overall rating!

Listening to your experiences

As part of our Enter and View programme we have visited care homes in Northumberland owned and run by HC-One, allowing us to see, hear and feel what life is like for people who live there. Our recommendations after the visits  offered in the reports led to improvements to areas such as care home activities, interior décor, improvements to meals and more information provision, which demonstrates the impact our Enter and View activity can have and the change it can effect.

Following increased concerns from people in Northumberland about audiology (hearing) services we did some work to understand more about the key issues including what was working well, what was not working so well, and what could be improved. An action plan in line with our recommendations is now being implemented, which includes improved communication with patients about services and the support available, mapping exercises to improve on current clinic locations and review of patient pathways to access support and more proactive follow-on care.

Hearing from all communities

We’re here for all residents of Northumberland. That’s why, over the past year, we’ve worked hard to reach out to those communities whose voices may go unheard.
Every member of the community should have the chance to share their story and play a part in shaping services to meet their needs.

Hearing from the farming community: Over the past year we have attended Hexham Auction Mart monthly to engage with farmers and their families as part of the Supporting Our Farming Communities initiative. This is a joint piece of work led by The Church and Community Partnership (Tynedale) and in partnership with Andy’s Man Club, Papyrus Suicide Prevention and Northumberland County Council.

Here to Hear: We continue to get out across the county to different venues and groups to hear people’s experiences of health and care services and offering our Information and Signposting Service. We regularly review which venues and areas we go to, ensuring that we can hear from more people. This includes areas or groups we may not hear from as much or who might experience poorer health outcomes or find it harder to access services.

Information and signposting

Whether it’s finding a local GP surgery, making a complaint, or choosing a good care home for a loved one – you can count on us. People have reached out to us this year for advice, support or help finding services. We’ve helped people by:​

  • Providing up-to-date information people can trust
  • Helping people access the services they need
  • Supporting people to look after their health
  • Signposting people to additional support services

Showcasing volunteer impact

Our fantastic volunteers have given 491 hours to support our work. Thanks to their dedication to improving care, we can better understand what is working and what needs improving in our community. This year our volunteers:​

  • Visited communities to promote our work
  • Collected experiences and supported their communities to share their views
  • Carried out Enter and View visits to local care homes to help them improve

Next steps
We will keep working across the county, reaching out especially to people less listened to, for example, people whose work or lives means they face difficulties in using health and care services.
Thank you to everyone who responded to our Annual Survey and the suggestions for what we should work on next year. It has helped us decide the things we’re going to work on which are:

1. GP access – we will focus on the impact of digital services
2. Dentistry
3. Adult social care – we will focus on hospital discharge and respite care

We will remain responsive to emerging issues that people raise with us throughout the year.

 

View the Healthwatch Northumberland Annual Report 2024-25 or download a pdf version.

Healthcare on a low income

Healthcare on a low income

/in , , /by

Healthwatch England’s latest research shows that people on lower incomes find it harder to access NHS services than people who are financially more comfortable.

In 2023, it reported that people were increasingly avoiding NHS appointments and prescriptions due to the cost-of-living crisis.

Two years on, rising costs, poor service availability, and a lack of support are still common themes in the experiences people share with Healthwatch across the country.

While the NHS is free at the point of delivery, people’s income and where they live can affect their care experience. Research by the King’s Fund in 2024 found people living in poverty had worse care than those with higher incomes.

Several factors contributed to this, including the cost of technology to access services online, like smartphones and broadband internet, and the costs of travelling to get care, like bus fares and parking expenses.

Healthwatch England looked at seven areas that affect those on low incomes. These are:

Living on a low income shouldn’t be a barrier to healthcare access. Find out what better support for people on low incomes could look like.

Read Healthwatch England’s recommendations for making care more accessible for people on low incomes.

If you are looking for support with the cost of living visit our website.

Your feedback May 2025

Your feedback May 2025

/in , /by

Your NHS and social care feedback for May 2025

Top issues

You told us that long distances to travel to audiology and radiology appointments in hospitals were an issue. There was also feedback around difficulty getting a face-to-face GP appointment and issues with the online booking systems. Half of the feedback about GP services praised the good service patients received by staff.

This month’s focus

We took our Here to Hear drop-ins to place in Ashington, Hexham, Bedlington, Hadston, and Morpeth, plus we were at the Bell View wellbeing event in Belford.
We completed an Enter and View visit to Hartford Court Care Home, and held focus groups in Hexham and Alnwick on audiology services.
Our online session from Parkinson’s UK had 18 attendees who really enjoyed the talk.
The Persistent Physical Symptoms project has been re-establishing contact with groups in Ashington, Blyth, and Newbiggin-by-the-sea to recruit research participants.
We asked for experiences of applying for or renewing a Blue Badge and heard that the process is lengthy and slow.

Positive feedback example

A person told us that they are happy with the care they received at their GP surgery, with a sensible booking process, being guided to ring on a Monday for non-urgent medical appointments available that week (although they did say that patients do have to ring early).

Having not needed to see a GP in over ten years, the person said they were pleased to be offered full blood testing, finding it reassuring that they were taken seriously. They were also pleased to be offered a wellness check for added reassurance.

Castle Morpeth resident

Negative feedback example

“This was a Blue Badge renewal but I had to give all the information again including ID, doctor’s original letters of my conditions etc. – why?? As it was a renewal I was expecting a simple form i.e. giving any changes to my conditions.

It’s a very long-winded procedure, photocopying everything a second time. I sent it well in advance but they came back with more questions last month. I had thought I’d been turned down and was getting anxious but I’ve just heard they will renew it. I know they advised of a large number of applications and a backlog but surely renewals should be much easier for all concerned.”

Ashington and Blyth resident

Impact

Our team produced a simplified version of a Volunteer Agreement handbook for Thriving Together, to be shared with users of the new volunteering management system including Healthwatch Northumberland and other local organisations and services. ”Many thanks to the team for updating the Volunteer Handbook to an easier read version.”

Thriving Together Project Manager

Information and Signposting Service

We helped people find information on a number services including patient transport, talking therapies, social prescribing, hearing loss and mental health.

Read more in our feedback summary for May 2025

Volunteers’ Week 2025

Volunteers’ Week 2025

/in , /by
Read more
ADHD diagnosis research

ADHD diagnosis research

/in , , /by

In its latest report, Healthwatch England has found that people with ADHD find a diagnosis life-changing, but long waits on the NHS need urgent action.

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition, characterised by difficulties with concentration, energy levels, impulsiveness, or a person’s ability to manage their time.

Healthwatch England commissioned a poll of 2,579 adults living in England to explore people’s experiences and impacts of possible ADHD and of getting an ADHD diagnosis. All respondents were either diagnosed with ADHD or thought they had it.

The survey was conducted following concerns about access to ADHD services raised by local Healthwatch and the public.

Findings

The report highlights ADHD diagnosis can change people’s lives, giving them a better understanding of themselves, improving their wellbeing and self-esteem, and concentration at work.

Yet long waits for assessments put people with suspected ADHD off seeking professional care, and almost two-thirds (64%) of people with an ADHD diagnosis said they received either no information or poor information whilst waiting for their assessment.

Of the people who responded to the poll and who are currently waiting for an assessment, nearly half, had been waiting for over a year, and 10 per cent of these for three years or more.

Healthwatch England’s report, “Recognising ADHD: How to improve support for people who need it” highlights that long waits for an ADHD assessment on the NHS put people off seeking any support.

Of all respondents, 41% said they didn’t seek a formal ADHD diagnosis, with 20% of this group giving long waits as a reason.

There is no official data on how many people are waiting for ADHD assessments. A recent BBC investigation suggested that at least 196,000 adults were on NHS waiting lists for ADHD assessments.

Recommendations

Healthwatch England warns there is an urgent need for quicker access to NHS support for ADHD and has set out four priorities for the Department for Health and Social Care, NHS England and other stakeholders. These are:

  • collecting data on waiting times to understand demand
  • shifting more ADHD care to community care to reduce waiting times
  • better training for staff in both primary and community care
  • and tailored information and support for people on waiting lists.

Healthwatch England sits on and supports the work of the NHS ADHD taskforce, which was set up in 2024 to address the challenges people face in getting the right support.

Read the full report

If you would like to tell us about your experience of ADHD diagnosis or treatment, please get in touch.