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

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

Message in a bottle

Message in a bottle

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The ‘Message in a Bottle’ scheme helps you to keep your personal and medical information in a place where it can easily be found in an emergency – your fridge.

Having this information to hand will help the paramedics treating you and could make all the difference in a life-threatening situation.

How does it work?

The Message in a Bottle kit includes a form to complete that you put inside the bottle and keep in your fridge – ideally in the door to allow it to be found quickly in an emergency.

Two stickers are also provided to let paramedics know about the bottle. One should be stuck on your fridge door, and the other inside your front door. If you don’t want a sticker on your fridge, put the other sticker close to your back door.

Filling in the form

You should fill the form in with the following information:

  • Your name and details of any allergies
  • The name, address and contact number for your doctor
  • A brief description of any medical conditions you have or medication you take
  • The contact information for two emergency contacts
  • If you are a carer, the details of the person you are a carer for
  • A copy of your repeat prescription list if you have one.

Who can get a bottle?

The scheme is free and open to anyone in the community. However, it’s particularly suitable for vulnerable people who find it difficult to recall information or communicate with emergency staff, such as people living with dementia or learning difficulties, or people whose first language isn’t English.

Where can I get a bottle?

The bottles are supplied by the Lion’s Club International to health centres, GP surgeries and chemists, local Lions clubs, Neighbourhood Watch, Age Concern and housing associations.

Bottles are also being distributed via ambulance crews and at public events across the region.

Find out more at the Lion’s Club website

Free event – Vision Northumberland

Free event – Vision Northumberland

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Join us on Friday 9 January at 1pm to hear from Sue Taylor, chair of Vision Northumberland, about their range of services available for those with sight loss in Northumberland.

This includes their Low Vision Assessment Service, advice on aids and equipment, wellbeing clubs and groups, befriending and transport.

Sue will also give an overview of sight loss including some of the main causes and everyday challenges.

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

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 November 2025

Your feedback November 2025

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Your NHS and social care feedback November 2025

Top issues

This month we heard mixed feedback about GP and hospital services. We heard negative feedback about hospital IT systems not being joined up with other parts of the NHS and that post-operation advice was not always provided to patients. However, several people did mention good quality service from both GPs and hospitals.

This month’s focus

Our Here to Hear drop-in sessions took place in East Bedlington, Hexham, Morpeth, Prudhoe and Ashington. We also attended Wooler Warm Hub, Hexham Livestock Mart, Ageing Well’s Winter Warmer event in Ponteland, Carers Northumberland’s Carers Rights information day in Morpeth and the ‘Digital health in rural communities: bridge or barrier?’ conference, organised by the National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise.

This month’s free online information session from the ME Association was an update on the latest research on ME and Long Covid. A recording of the talk can be found on our Online Events webpage.

Working with local Healthwatch and the NHS in our area, we asked for feedback on three services designed to help people access the care they need more quickly. These are GP out of hours appointments, the NHS App, and the Pharmacy First Service. You can leave feedback about these services online.

Positive feedback example

A person told us they have attended a hospital on many occasions for cancer care, and found all the staff they came into contact with to be friendly and very attentive. They particularly liked that the staff remember their name and use it throughout their interactions, making the person feel more at ease and like a person not a number.

Tynedale resident

Negative feedback example

“The Newcastle Hospitals and Northumbria Trusts operate totally different IT systems and appointment systems and don’t cross over. Arranging appointments between them as new patients to the English NHS was farcical and tortuous and not helped by the Scottish hospital records not being sent over into the England systems – which apparently is ‘normal’. Why? This is an everyday occurrence and surely can be
facilitated much more professionally, bearing in mind the huge and potentially serious range of health issues that are needing to be monitored/managed?”

North Northumberland resident

Impact

“Healthwatch Northumberland does a great job in terms of collating all of the patient feedback, distilling it, and presenting the key themes of that back to us. This evidence base can give us more to go on from a commissioning/contract perspective.“

Comment received from the Strategic Head of Primary Care (Northumberland and North Tyneside Delivery Team) at NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board.

Information and Signposting Service

We were able to help people find the information they need on a range of issues and services, including sight loss support, elderly support groups, respite day care and drop-in hearing aid clinics.

Read more in our feedback summary for November 2025

Christmas tips for health and wellbeing

Christmas tips for health and wellbeing

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To help you take care of yourself and your family this Christmas season, we’ve pulled together some useful information and tips for health and wellbeing. Find more support on our Your Health pages.

Stay healthy this winter
Useful advice from the NHS to help you stay fit and well this winter, including vaccinations and what to do if you feel unwell.

Looking after your mental health at Christmas
Top tips from Mind to look after your mental health or support someone else, with ideas to help cope with money and relationship worries and where to find support.

Christmas and dementia
Christmas can be stressful and emotionally challenging, especially for those affected by dementia. Dementia UK Admiral Nurses share 12 tips to help people with dementia and their families have a happy and relaxing time.

Christmas tips for autistic people
National Autistic Society tips to make the festive period as stress-free as possible for autistic people and their families.

Healthier Christmas recipes
British Heart Foundation has created healthier versions of some favourite Christmas recipes. Try healthier mince pies, berry trifle, Christmas pudding ice cream and low-fat Christmas cake.

Support with an eating disorder at Christmas
Charity Beat shares some common questions and answers and tips for dealing with the challenges of Christmas, whether you have an eating disorder or are supporting someone you care about.

Pharmacy opening hours Christmas 2025

Pharmacy opening hours Christmas 2025

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Pharmacies open in Northumberland over the Christmas and New Year Bank Holidays

Over the Christmas and New Year bank holidays, some pharmacies will be closed. Below is a list of Northumberland pharmacies which are open. You may want to call the pharmacy before attending to check the opening hours haven’t changed.

For out of hours advice contact NHS 111.

Allendale Pharmacy 3 Shield Street, Allendale, NE47 9BP. Phone: 01434 683 274. Open 2pm-5pm Boxing Day, closed Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

Alnwick Boots 50-52 Bondgate Within, Alnwick, NE66 1JD. Phone: 01665 602 143. Open 2pm-5pm Boxing Day, closed Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

Ashington Asda Pharmacy Lintonville Terrace, Ashington, NE63 9XG. Phone: 01670 528 610. Open 10am-4pm Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, closed Christmas Day.

Ashington Crescent Pharmacy 110 Alexandra Road, Ashington, NE63 9LU. Phone: 01670 858 959. Open 10am-1pm Christmas Day and 10am-2pm Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

Ashington Pharmacy Lintonville Terrace, Ashington, NE63 9UN. Phone: 01670 528 610. Open 2pm-5pm Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, closed Christmas Day.

Bedlington Front Street Pharmacy 28 Front Street, Bedlington, NE22 5UB. Phone: 01670 822 297. Open 2pm-5pm Boxing Day. Closed Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

Blyth Asda Pharmacy Cowpen Road, Blyth, NE24 4LZ. Phone: 01670 542 710. Open 10am-4pm Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, closed Christmas Day.

Blyth Boots 60-62 Maddison Street, Blyth, NE24 1EY. Phone: 01670 546 092. Open 10am-1pm Christmas Day, closed Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

Berwick Pharmacy 4-6 Castlegate, Berwick-upon-Tweed, TD15 1JS. Phone: 01289 307 387. Open 2pm-5pm Christmas Day, closed Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

Cramlington Northumbria Way Pharmacy Health Hub, Northumbria Way, Cramlington, NE23 6NZ. Phone: 01670 222 256. Open 2pm-5pm New Year’s Day, closed Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Hexham Boots 7 Fore Street, Hexham, NE46 1LU. Phone: 01434 602 024. Open 2pm-5pm New Year’s Day, closed Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Morpeth Health Hut Pharmacy 2 Abbey Meadows, Kirkhall, Morpeth, NE61 2BD. Phone 01670 510 510. Open 2pm-5pm Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

Seahouses Chemist 32 Main Street, Seahouses, NE68 7RQ. Phone: 01665 720 228. Open 10am-1pm New Year’s Day, closed Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Seaton Delaval Cohens Chemist 21 Avenue Road, Seaton Delaval, NE25 0DS. Phone: 0191 237 1813. Open 2pm-5pm New Year’s Day, closed Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Wylam Pharmacy Main Street, Wylam, NE41 8AB. Phone: 01661 852 253. Open 2pm-5pm Christmas Day, closed Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.