Local Healthwatch working together for change
Local Healthwatch across the region have been working together to make sure people’s voices and experiences are heard by those involved in making decisions about health and care services.
During 2025–2026, the Healthwatch North East and North Cumbria (NENC) network brought together insight from local communities to inform decision making across health and care.
Working as a coordinated network of 14 local Healthwatch, we supported the health and care system to understand what people experience in real life. What works, what doesn’t, and what needs to change.
The Working Together for Change report below gives an overview of the diverse work that our local Healthwatch network has been involved in throughout the year including:
- Primary care access: understanding what works and what doesn’t
- Winter care: helping people understand winter care and pharmacy options
- Shaping WorkWell: a new service designed to help people with long term health conditions stay in or return to work
- Listening on sensitive issues: palliative and end of life care
- Influencing national policy: developing NHS Online
- Workforce Voices: making national work more accessible
- Mental health rehabilitation: what helps people recover – and what puts them at risk
Read Healthwatch North East & North Cumbria: Working Together For Change
Your feedback April 2026
Your NHS and social care feedback April 2026
Top issues
There were many different issues we heard about this month but no real common themes other than quality of care and communication issues with hospital outpatients services.
This month’s focus
We held Here to Hear sessions around the county including at Hexham General Hospital, Morpeth Library, Blyth Hub, Newbiggin Sports and Community Hub and in Alnwick.
We also attended sessions hosted by other groups including Karbon Homes Silver Friends event in Haltwhistle, Amble’s Cancer Support Group, Supporting Our Farming Community session at Hexham Auction Mart and Ponteland Aging Well Group.
Positive feedback example
We heard feedback from a member of the public who feels access at their GP surgery is improving slowly. The online system is much better since it changed from Anima to SystmConnect – forms are not as long or as complicated. However, they told us they still know of many patients who cannot use online systems.
North Northumberland resident
Negative feedback example
A visitor to one of our Here to Hear drop-ins told us they have several long-term conditions and get frustrated with poor communication from NHS services particularly in text messages.
For example, they will receive texts about appointments which fail to give information as to what condition it is for. They gave example of Cora health – physiotherapy service. They have had care for their shoulder and knee separately from this service. Texts were about appointments and also to give feedback but did not specify for which condition, so they had to contact the service to ask for clarification.
North Northumberland resident
Impact
“I am so impressed by the level of support I received from Healthwatch Northumberland. They really went the extra mile to find out what options were available to me with regards to receiving an alternative Covid vaccination because of the impact the Moderna vaccine has on my rheumatoid arthritis condition. It was a complex situation and they got to the bottom of it with the result that I now have an appointment in the next couple of days. Many thanks!”
Resident who used our Information and Signposting Service.
Information and Signposting Service
We were able to help people find the information they need on a range of issues and services, including scams awareness, mental health support, urgent dental care, prostate cancer testing and vision loss support.
Read more in our feedback summary for April 2026
ADHD assessment and Right to Choose
Healthwatch County Durham has created a useful guide about waiting for an ADHD assessment and Right to Choose.
Since 2019 demand across NHS England for ADHD and Autism assessments has increased. NHS services have not been able to expand at the same pace as the demand which means more people are on the waiting list and expected to wait longer for an assessment. To help reduce waiting times in the North East and North Cumbria, there are additional providers commissioned by the Integrated Care Board (ICB) to carry out ADHD assessments.
What is Right to Choose?
In England, when an NHS patient is referred by their GP to a specialist for a physical or mental health condition, they will usually have the option to choose which hospital or specialist service they attend, including services that assess ADHD. This is known as the Right to Choose, (quite often referred to as RtC) although it only applies when certain criteria are met.
Find out more in the guide below.
Here to Hear – at our monthly drop-ins
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.
- Seahouses Hub, Seahouses, NE68 7YL: Thursday 4 June, 10am – 12pm.
- Allendale Village Hall, Leadgate, Allendale, NE47 9PR: Wednesday 10 June, 11.30am – 1pm.
- Asda, Lintonville Terrace, Portland Park, Ashington, NE63 9XG: Thursday 11 June, 11am-1pm
- Amble Quayside, Harbour Road, Amble, NE65 OAP: Thursday 18 June, 10am – 3pm.
- Hexham General Hospital, Corbridge Road, Hexham, NE46 1QJ: Thursday 18 June, 10.30am – 12.30pm.
- Hexham Mart, Tyne Green, Hexham, NE46 3SG: Friday 19 June, 9am to 1pm.
- Morpeth Leisure Centre, Gas House Lane, NE61 1SR: Fourth Wednesday of the month, next date 24 June, 10.30am – 12.30pm.
- 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
Free online event – cancer support
Grab a cuppa and join us for a free online talk on Friday 8 May at 1pm with Ben Elliott from Live Well with Cancer. This North East charity helps people affected by a cancer diagnosis to improve their health and wellbeing.
We will hear about the support on offer from the charity to those living in Northumberland alongside an overview of their campaign, Live Well with Healthy Habits, helping anyone impacted by cancer or a chronic condition to improve their wellbeing.
The campaign promotes the nine habits of a healthy lifestyle including mental health, physical fitness, emotional wellbeing and relationships with others, yourself and your diet.
Register today to find out how you can transform your wellbeing or help others to live well with healthy habits.
This talk is suitable for both professionals and the public and 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.
Your feedback March 2026
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.
Stellar Awards winner announced
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.
Your feedback February 2026
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.
Local hearing support drop-ins
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.
Healthwatch Northumberland
We are your local health and social care champion. We’re here to make sure your views on NHS and social care services in Northumberland are heard.
