Spotlight on…Northumberland Frontline

Spotlight on…Northumberland Frontline

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Northumberland Frontline

As part of our information and signposting service, we’re shining a spotlight on organisations offering all kinds of support to people in Northumberland. 

Navigating health and wellbeing services can be overwhelming. Whether for yourself, a loved one, or a patient, knowing where to turn is the crucial first step. That’s where Northumberland Frontline comes in – a single, go-to resource for discovering support services across our county.

What is Northumberland Frontline?

Northumberland Frontline is a free, comprehensive digital directory designed to put vital information directly into your hands. It is a one-stop shop, with over 430 local services already registered, covering everything from mental health support and debt advice to social groups and activities for all ages. The platform is constantly updated, ensuring you are accessing the most current and reliable information.

Frontline allows you to easily browse trusted, local organisations that can help to navigate life’s challenges. It is quick, easy, and anonymous.

How to use Frontline

  1. Visit the website: Explore the huge range of services available today and bookmark it for future use.
  2. Download the App: Get instant access on the go. Search for ‘Frontline Referrals’ on the Apple App Store (for iPhone/iPad) or the Google Play Store (for Android devices).

More than a directory: A partnership in action

The example below shows one of the ways Frontline has become a trusted link, enabling services to work together to create real change.

“I represent the HDFT Growing Healthy 0-19 (25) Northumberland Service. My role as Community Anchor is to work with communities and partners across all sectors to improve the health and wellbeing of our families.

The team at Northumberland Frontline has been instrumental in developing a project to improve the housing conditions of our service users. As a service, we visit multiple homes each day where we often note issues with housing, such as damp and mould. However, seeking a resolution to these issues is often a complex process.

It was identified that Northumberland Frontline was the key to creating the links between the services to quickly, easily, and safely share information to request housing repairs. I cannot thank the team at Northumberland Frontline enough for their resilience, tenacity, and support in helping drive this project forward. Their input has been invaluable.” — Community Anchor, HDFT Growing Healthy 0-19 (25) Northumberland Service

If you have used Northumberland Frontline and would like to tell us about your experience or if you have a question, please get in touch.

Your feedback July 2025

Your feedback July 2025

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Your NHS and social care feedback July 2025

Top issues

This month we heard about issues with GP services. You told us about difficulties making appointments over the phone, poor quality of care and poor communication. However, a third of feedback about GP services was positive.

This month’s focus

We have been out and about in the good weather delivering our Here to Hear sessions. We also attended Thriving Together’s networking event in Newton, the Seafit event at Amble Harbour, Hexham Auction Mart, Blyth wellbeing event, and the Digital Phone Switch online training session.

Our online talk was from Prostate Cancer UK which our attendees found both informative and engaging. We began the first of the public participation meetings for our Persistent Physical Symptoms project. More details to follow.

Promotion is under way for our Annual Event, ‘Delivering in Tynedale!’. This free event for people who live or work in the area is a chance to hear about the NHS ten-year plan and what changes mean locally, the Pharmacy First service, plus Direct Payments and taking control of your care.

Positive feedback example

A person told us that they recently moved into the area and have been pleased with care from their GP surgery – much better than previous surgery out of the Northumberland area. They said that it was easy to get in touch online for help and they were offered support with mental health around menopause without asking, which they felt was really positive.

North Northumberland resident

Negative feedback example

A patient told us they feel anxious about NHS services (as well as other things) creeping towards digital reliance. They said they don’t feel confident or comfortable using digital services, leaving them excluded in many ways and feeling quite vulnerable.

Tynedale resident

Impact

This month we helped someone find the information they needed around support for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME). They told us “Thank you for so much for your email and for all of the information provided – it has been so helpful, along with the video too. I am sincerely grateful.

“Thank you also for your listening and the sympathetic ear. Words just can’t express the relief that comes with knowing that there are people out there willing to help and support those who are going through this rather debilitating illness, rather than having to fight it alone which I feel I have had to do over the last five months!

“So thank you for your understanding and a great service – it is very much appreciated.”

Information and Signposting Service

We were able to help people find the information they need on a range of issues and services, including NHS complaints, mental health support, Adult Social Care, dementia support, stoma support and physiotherapy.

Read more in our feedback summary for July 2025.

Trends in feedback January to June 2025

Trends in feedback January to June 2025

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Between January and June 2025, we received detailed feedback from 417 individuals from talking to people at face-to-face events, telephone calls, emails, website queries, social media and other sources. This was more than the previous six months (we heard from 388 people between July and December 2024) and the same number as between January to June 2024.

The feedback we have received has been dominated by feedback on GP services again, with a quarter (25%) of the feedback received in January to June 2025. However, the percentage share of the feedback has dropped slightly from 27% in July to December 2024.

The next most raised services were all of a similar proportion of the total feedback received: Hospital – unspecified department (6% of total feedback received), Audiology (just over 4.5%), Hospital – outpatients (4%) and Dentists (just over 3.5%).

Signposting/requests for information

In January to June 2025, we signposted 71 people to different organisations for support, which is 17% of the total detailed feedback received. This is up slightly from the previous six months, both in the total number and the proportion of overall feedback received (61 people, 15.7% of overall feedback in July to December 2024). Like the previous six months, the subject matters asked about were very varied with no real themes emerging.

Trends

In the six-month period of January to June 2025 the percentage of positive comments rose from 16% in January to 18% in June and the percentage of negative comments fell from 46% to 39% over the same period. This continues the trend we have seen over the past year since July 2024 which shows an overall improvement in the Northumberland residents’ perception of services.

Insights

The long-term trend over the past year in the public’s perception of services has continued to improve, judging by the proportion of positive to negative comments we received between January and June 2025.

We heard from more people with disabilities over the past six months than in the second half of 2024, and we are still hearing from a greater proportion of respondents with a disability than the county’s own demographic distribution.

We heard from a similar proportion of men and boys of all ages in these past six months as we did in July to December 2024. This is a plateau in the slow and steady improvement in our engagement with males over the past two years. We are working to improve this further.

We have continued to broaden our reach to hear more from the more deprived communities, and we are now getting almost a 50:50 balance between the most deprived and least deprived sections of the population.

We are hearing about concerns with one GP practice, in particular. We will raise the matter with this practice so it can address the identified issues.

Read more in What you told us: Trends in feedback January to June 2025.

NHS dental consultation

NHS dental consultation

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The Government has opened a consultation on changes to the NHS dental contract.

People aged 16 years and over living in England are invited to share their views and help shape future NHS dental services.

Please read the full consultation page before completing the survey.

Have your say before 19 August 2025.

NHS dental consultation

 

This consultation is now closed

Free event – Living with a stoma

Free event – Living with a stoma

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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

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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

Free event – Prostate Cancer UK

Free event – Prostate Cancer UK

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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.

Healthcare on a low income

Healthcare on a low income

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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.

ADHD diagnosis research

ADHD diagnosis research

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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.

Dementia Action Week 2025

Dementia Action Week 2025

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This year Dementia Action Week takes place from 19 to 25 May 2025 and the theme is raising awareness of the importance of an early diagnosis for people affected by dementia.

Diagnosis is vital to give people access to the care, treatment and support they need. Yet, 1 in 3 people with dementia do not have a diagnosis.

If you’re worried about yourself, or someone close to you, you can check your symptoms using this dementia symptoms checklist from Alzheimer’s Society. This will not provide a diagnosis but can be used to help understand the symptoms being experienced so you can discuss this with a GP.

Visit our dementia page for more information about local support services and activities.

Local events this Dementia Action Week

  • Tuesday 20 May – Memories in the Sand – help create sand art at Beadnell Bay in memory and tribute to those affected by dementia, 4.30pm-6.30pm. There will be Dementia Advisers to speak to from 2.30pm and a Dementia Friends session at 3.30pm. Just turn up on the day.
  • Friday 23 May – pop-up information stall at Morpeth Library, 10am-12pm and Morpeth NHS Centre, 1pm-3pm with Well Up North Link Worker Lisa Baker and Dementia Adviser Abi Bailey from Alzheimer’s Society.

Please get in touch if you would like further information about local dementia services and support, or if you would like to talk to us in confidence about your experiences of care.