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

Stellar Awards winner announced

Stellar Awards winner announced

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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.

We were delighted to present the first Stellar Award to the stroke unit staff on Ward 6 at Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital.

The team was nominated by Stella from Northumberland in recognition of the exceptional, compassionate care staff provided for her late husband and the wider family, supporting them with sensitivity, clear communication and dignity, and working 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

Here to Hear – at our monthly drop-ins

Here to Hear – at our monthly drop-ins

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Healthwatch Northumberland Monthly Drop-ins

Come and see us at one of our monthly drop-ins, which we hold in all five local council areas of the county. These sessions are a chance for you to tell us, in confidence, about your experiences of NHS and social care services so that we can understand what is working well and what could be improved. You can also use our Information and Signposting Service to find out more about local support and services. Call in to speak to our friendly team at one of the venues below, or if you’d prefer to make a specific appointment for one of the sessions, please get in touch.

  • Morpeth Leisure Centre, Gas House Lane, NE61 1SR: Fourth Wednesday of the month, next date 22 April, 10.30am – 12.30pm.
  • Hexham Mart, Tyne Green, Hexham, NE46 3SG: Friday 24 April, 9am to 1pm.
  • Haltwhistle Community Hub, Mechanics Institute, NE49 0AX: Wednesday 29 April, 10.30am – 12.30pm.
  • Berwick Cancer Cars, 8 Tweed Street, Berwick, TD15 1NG: Tuesday 5 May, 10am – 12pm.
  • Hexham General Hospital, Corbridge Road, Hexham, NE46 1QJ: Third Thursday of every month, next date 21 May, 10am – 12pm.
  • Amble Quayside, Harbour Road, Amble, NE65 OAP: Thursday 28 May, 10am – 3pm.
  • Allendale Village Hall, Leadgate, Allendale, NE47 9PR: Wednesday 3 June, 11am – 1pm.
  • Free online information session: Second Friday of the month, 1.00pm – 2.00pm. There will be a different topic each month – see our online events page or social media for details.

We also attend one-off events throughout the county. Please check our events calendar or social media for more details.

You can leave feedback at any time here on our website

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

Accessing NHS dental care

Accessing NHS dental care

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Find out how to access NHS dental care

North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) has a plan to improve oral health and increase access to NHS dental care across the North East and North Cumbria.

There are four ways patients can access NHS dental care:

Contact an NHS dentist

NHS dentists provide routine dental care and urgent care appointments during their normal working hours. Contact your regular dentist if you have one or search for a dentist near you.

If you have an urgent care issue and cannot get an appointment with an NHS dentist, try one of the options below.

Contact dentists that have extra urgent appointments

Selected dentists across the region have extra urgent appointments. A list of contact details for those practices can be found on the ICB’s website.

Book an appointment at an urgent dental access centre

Urgent dental access centres offer appointments to diagnose and treat urgent dental problems. Patients can book their own appointment at an urgent dental access centre at the ICB’s website.

There are 23 centres across the North East and North Cumbria, including three in Northumberland in Alnwick, Blyth and Hexham.

This is not a walk-in service so appointments must be booked in advance.

Contact NHS 111 for urgent care

Visit 111.nhs.uk or call 111 if you cannot find an urgent appointment with any of the NHS dental services above and have any of the following issues:

  • Severe toothache that causes pain that does not stop or cannot be eased by over-the-counter painkillers.
  • Dental abscess infections that cause swelling, pain and possibly fever.
  • Broken or knocked-out teeth.
  • Bleeding in the mouth following a dental procedure or an injury that does not stop by itself but can be controlled. If bleeding cannot be controlled in any way, emergency care may be needed.
  • Swelling in the mouth or face that could be a sign of infection.
  • Fractured, loose or displaced fillings causing pain.
  • Severe bleeding from gums or conditions affecting other soft areas of the mouth (such as cheeks or tongue).

The NHS 111 health advisor will discuss your needs and if needed, may be able to find you an appointment at an urgent dental access centre or an out-of hours treatment service.

Patients should only go to A&E or call 999 if they have:

  • Serious injuries to the face, mouth, jaw or teeth
  • Heavy bleeding from the mouth that will not stop
  • Severe swelling of the mouth, lips, throat or neck, and difficulty breathing or opening one or both eyes
  • Any injury to the head or face that has caused them to lose consciousness, vomit, or have double vision.

If you would like to tell us about your experience of NHS dental care or would like further information, please get in touch.

Your feedback December 2025

Your feedback December 2025

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Your NHS and social care feedback December 2025

Top issues

This month we heard mixed feedback about GP and hospital inpatient services. Some people told us about issues with hospital outpatients appointments including poor communication and distance to travel, although again there was also positive feedback about the quality of care received.

This month’s focus

As well as our usual Here to Hear drop-in sessions across the county we also attended Hexham Livestock Mart, the Meet and Eat session in Allendale and the Northumberland County of Sanctuary session in Blyth. Adapt (NE)’s Community Hub opened in December 2025 and we are staffing the Warm Space once a week on Tuesdays, as an additional Here to Hear.

We have been supporting the NHS in our region to find out more about people’s awareness of the Pharmacy First scheme, GP extended opening hours services and the NHS App. We also carried out a piece of work for the NHS to gauge the public’s opinion of proposed dentists’ awareness publicity materials.

Our online information event this month was from Tyneside and Northumberland MIND and was about the mental health services it provides to people in Northumberland.

Positive feedback example

A patient left positive feedback about the gastroenterology department at Wansbeck General Hospital.

They said, ”This was a first appointment. I wasn’t sure what to expect or how long my appointment would be. I didn’t see the consultant named on my appointment letter, I saw a more junior member of her team who took a full history. I had planned what to say and she listened and asked lots of questions. This took about 30 minutes. Then she went to relay all that information to the consultant. She was gone for 20 minutes and then returned to talk to me about next steps and likely diagnosis. This was another 15 – 20 minutes. I felt listened to and that the impact of my condition on my life was understood. I was given enough time to ask questions about likely diagnosis, possible treatment, tests required before this could start and interim medication to control symptoms while waiting for tests. I could not have asked for a better experience.”

North Northumberland patient

Negative feedback example

Feedback from a professional on behalf of a member of the public:
92 year old female unable to access hearing support in the form of a hearing test at home. The Freeman Hospital audiology department has confirmed she can have a domiciliary visit. However, this needs to be recommended by her GP. The patient has macular, is nearly blind and suffers from anxiety. Daughter has been trying to get this done for her mum for a while but the GP has not been supportive. Having to go through GP for this request is a barrier to access.

Ashington and Blyth resident

Impact

We received an email from Vision Northumberland which said, “Just to confirm Public Health have now agreed to undertake a Joint Strategic Needs Assessment of eye care. I have met with the Public Health person leading on it and central to her knowledge is the Healthwatch Northumberland report.”

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, exercise classes, support for carers and help to make a complaint.

Read more in our feedback summary for December 2025

Free event – Women’s cancer awareness

Free event – Women’s cancer awareness

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Join us on Friday 13 February at 1pm to hear from Betsy Holmes, Community Cancer Awareness Worker from Healthworks who will talk to us about the most common cancers in women.

This will include awareness of the signs, symptoms and risk factors associated with common cancers. We will also hear about the importance of screening and get information about self-checking your body, and what to do if you find something that’s not normal for you.

Please note this session is not intended to give specific medical advice. The talk is suitable for professionals and the public.

There will be a chance to ask questions after the presentation.

This event has now passed

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