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A pain to complain
A pain to complain: new research from Healthwatch England
Healthwatch England has shared a new report which looks at some of the barriers people face when making a complaint about NHS healthcare.
Read the findings and recommendations
Key findings
Very few patients complain
Almost 24% said they had experienced poor NHS care in the past year. Yet more than half (56%) of people who experienced poor care took no action, and fewer than one in 10 made a formal complaint.
Low confidence stops people acting
Of those who didn’t make a complaint after poor care, 34% believed that the NHS wouldn’t use their complaint to improve services, 33% thought organisations wouldn’t respond effectively, and 30% felt the NHS wouldn’t see their concern as ‘serious enough’.
A poor complaints experience is common
Over half (56%) of people who made a formal complaint were dissatisfied with both the process and the outcome of their complaint.
Falling investment in support to help people complain
The budget allocated to councils to arrange statutory NHS complaints advocacy for local people has declined by more than 20% over the last decade.
People experience long waits for responses
On average, integrated care boards (ICBs) took 54 working days to respond to complaints they handled as commissioners of NHS services. Response times ranged from between 18 and 114 working days.
The NHS is not effectively learning lessons
NHS organisations do not effectively capture the right data about who makes complaints, do not welcome complaints or fail to fully demonstrate learning from complaints. There is little national oversight and accountability over the complaints process.
Healthwatch England’s recommendations
- Make the complaints process easier for patients and their families to navigate
- Monitor and improve the performance of organisations that handle complaints
- Develop a culture of listening to and learning from complaints
Read more on the Healthwatch England website.
If you would like to talk to us about a health or care service you have used as a patient or a carer, please get in touch.
Join the Big Conversation
Join the Big Conversation about women’s health
The NHS Integrated Care Board for the North East and North Cumbria is working with local Healthwatch to better understand experiences of women’s health and healthcare. We want to know what’s working well and what could be improved.
The Big Conversation aims to find out what matters most to women and girls when it comes to their health. As part of this you are invited to share your views about women’s health issues and accessing health services.
Join the Big Conversation by completing this short survey and tell us:
- What matters to you about your health?
- What is important when you use women’s health services?
- How comfortable are you talking to doctors about women’s health issues?
- What are your top health concerns?
- Where do you find information about women’s health?
The survey will only take around 10 minutes and your answers will help create better health plans for women and girls in our region.
If you fill in the survey, you can take part in a prize draw to win a £100 Love to Shop voucher.
This survey has now closed.
Have your say on the NHS Constitution
The Government has launched a consultation on the NHS Constitution, which sets out your rights as an NHS patient. It also includes the commitments the NHS aims to achieve so you get high quality care.
The Government is planning to make several changes to the NHS Constitution. You can tell the Government what you think about the proposals, as well as any other changes you think should be made.
What is the NHS Constitution?
The NHS Constitution outlines the founding values of the NHS and details the rights, commitments, and obligations of patients and staff, as well as their roles in ensuring the NHS works effectively.
The NHS Constitution plays a vital role in helping the NHS set the right culture and focus on what matters most to the public. It also tells you about your rights. For example, if a GP needs to refer you for a physical or mental health condition, in most cases, you have the legal right to choose the hospital or service you’d like to go to.
What is the consultation about?
The Government must update the Constitution via a public consultation every ten years to reflect what people value most when it comes to their health and social care services. The Government is planning to make several changes to the NHS Constitution. For example, they want to introduce a new right for patients and their loved ones to be able to request a second opinion when a hospital patient’s condition deteriorates.
The Government wants to hear your views about their proposals, as well as other changes you think should be made.
What are the proposals?
The proposals include:
Getting a second opinion: Changes that would empower patients and their families to ask for a second opinion on treatment if their condition or the condition of their loved one deteriorates. The rule would see more power put in the hands of patients.
Carer rights: A new right to involve unpaid carers as early as possible when a patient is discharged.
Patient communication: A commitment to ensuring the NHS communicates information about appointments in a clear and timely way to help patients meet their responsibility to keep or cancel appointments.
Health inequalities: A plan to strengthen the NHS focus on health inequalities by committing services to work with partners to understand the needs of their local communities.
Why is the consultation important?
We should all expect high standards of care, whether for emergency care, a dentist appointment, or a check-up with a GP. However, many people don’t know their rights under the Constitution. The consultation is your opportunity to learn more, tell the Government what you think about their proposals, and say if they should make other changes.
Have your say on the NHS Constitution: 10 year review
The consultation is now closed.
Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme
If you’re referred to hospital or other NHS premises for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostic tests by a doctor, dentist or another primary care health professional, you may be able to claim a refund of reasonable travel costs under the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS).
What are the qualifying benefits and allowances?
You can claim help with travel costs if you or your partner (including civil partner) receive any of the following benefits:
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Working Tax Credit (WTC) with Child Tax Credit (CTC)
- WTC with a disability element or a severe disability element
- CTC but you’re not eligible for WTC
- Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
- You receive Universal Credit and meet the criteria
You can also claim for help with travel costs if:
- you’re named on, or entitled to, an NHS tax credit exemption certificate (if you do not have a certificate, you can show your award notice) – you qualify if you get child tax credits, working tax credits with a disability element (or both), and have income for tax credit purposes of £15,276 or less
- you have a low income and are named on certificate HC2 (full help) or HC3 (limited help) – to apply for this certificate, you should complete the HC1 form: claim for help with health costs, which is available from your local hospital, Jobcentre Plus offices or the NHS print contract order line on 0300 123 0849.
How do I claim a refund?
To claim your travel costs, take your travel receipts, appointment letter or card, plus proof that you’re receiving one of the qualifying benefits, to a nominated cashiers’ office.
Nominated cashiers’ offices are located in the hospital or clinic that treated you. They’ll assess your claim and make the payment directly to you.
In some hospitals, the name of the office you need to go to may be different (for example, the General Office or the Patient Affairs Office). If you’re not sure, ask reception or Patient Advice and Liaison Services (PALS) staff where you should go.
Some hospitals and clinics do not have cashier facilities. In this case, you can complete an HC5(T) claim travel charges form and post it to the address stated on the form.
You can make a postal claim up to three months after your appointment took place.
Useful numbers
- Call 0300 330 1348 for the dental services helpline
- Call 0300 330 1343 for the Low Income Scheme helpline
- Call 0300 330 1341 for queries about medical exemption certificates
- Call 0300 330 1341 for queries about prescription prepayment certificates (PPCs)
- Call 0300 330 1349 for the prescription services helpline
- Call 0300 330 1347 for queries about tax credit certificates
- Call 0300 123 0849 to order a paper copy of the HC12, HC5 and HC1 (SC) forms
- Call 0300 330 1343 for all other queries
Experiences of NHS dentistry
Tell us your experience of NHS dentistry
People have been telling us about the challenges they face getting NHS dentistry.
Using your feedback we are working with the NHS Integrated Care Board in the North East and North Cumbria to help shape future services, including planning the next phase of the NHS dental recovery plan in the region.
Across the North East and North Cumbria, the local Healthwatch network is working together to tackle this important issue.
So if you live in Northumberland or anywhere else in the North East and North Cumbria region and have recent experiences with using or trying to access dental services, then share your experiences with us.
We are the independent champion for users of health and care services in Northumberland. Your responses will inform decision-makers in the North East and North Cumbria NHS Integrated Care Board (who are funding this research), service providers and partners including Local Authority Public Health teams.
As a thank you for your time we are offering £100 of Love2shop vouchers to a lucky prize draw winner.
If you require a paper copy or have any questions please get in touch.
Please leave your feedback before Sunday 31 March 2024.
This survey has now closed
Get your NHS Health Check
It’s easier than ever to access NHS Health Checks
It is easier than ever for people aged 40 to 74 to get a free NHS Health Check, with the service now available in even more locations across Northumberland.
As part of a pilot project, Northumberland County Council’s Public Health Team has allocated up to £300k over the next three years to test the direct delivery of NHS Health Checks by its in-house Health Trainer Team.
This new way of providing services will run alongside the GP offer and will involve Health Trainers delivering checks in targeted workplaces and community settings.
Free NHS Health Checks, commissioned by councils as part of their public health responsibilities, help relieve pressures on our NHS and care system, save lives and prevent people from developing life-threatening conditions by assessing the risk of developing heart disease and stroke, and provide advice and support to reduce the risk of developing these conditions, as well as dementia.
Local authorities have a statutory obligation to ensure eligible residents are offered a check every five years from the age of 40.
To be eligible for a health check you must:
- Be aged 40-74
- Be registered with a GP in Northumberland
- Have not had an NHS Health Check in the last five years
- Have no pre-existing conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease or stroke
- Not be on statins
More information is available by emailing healthtrainers@northumberland.gov.uk or you can visit the Living Well Northumberland website.
If you would like to tell us your experience of booking and having an NHS Health Check, or any other health or care service you have used, please leave feedback.
Share for Better Care
Share for Better Care
Last year, Healthwatch received nearly 400,000 experiences of health and social care. When services are under pressure, feedback on care can be crucial to identify what is working and what issues need fixing. But not everyone’s voice is being heard.
‘Share for Better Care’ aims to help more people give feedback about their care, especially if their community experiences poor health outcomes.
Your experience matters to us
The simple act of sharing feedback is already helping to improve care for the people who use it. We want people to know that their feedback, no matter how small, has the power to transform health and social care across the country.
Together we can improve health and care, but we can only make a difference if we know about your experience.
Have your say
Please share your experience and help us make NHS decision-makers aware of what needs to change to improve access to care, for everyone. We’re completely independent and impartial, and anything you say is confidential.
Stay well this winter
Tips to help you stay well this winter and get the care you need
Winter comes with a higher risk of health issues, particularly for older people or those with long-term conditions and compromised immune systems.
Being cold can raise the risk of higher blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes. The cold, damp weather can aggravate existing health problems, making you more vulnerable to respiratory winter illnesses. But there are things you can do to stay well.
Top tips to stay well from the NHS
- Get your vaccines and boosters. Protect yourself and others by getting your COVID-19 booster and flu vaccination.
- Keep warm during the day. Wrap up in lots of layers of thin clothes, even when you go to bed. Keep doors closed to block draughts. Try to heat rooms you regularly use to at least 18°C. Make sure you’re getting the help you’re entitled to with your heating costs.
- Keep moving. Move around indoors and try to get outside for a walk. Avoid sitting for more than one hour.
- Wrap up at night. Wear layers to bed, including socks. Use a hot water bottle or an electric blanket. (Don’t use a hot water bottle and electric blanket together.) Keep your windows closed at night.
- Eat well. Make sure you eat a balanced diet with lots of seasonal fruit and vegetables. And try to eat at least one hot meal a day.
- Stay hydrated. Regular meals and hot drinks can help you keep warm.
- Have your medication on hand. Make sure you have the right medicines at home in case you get poorly. Ask your pharmacist if you’re not sure what medications you should have.
- Stop the spread of germs. Protect yourself and others by washing your hands with warm, soapy water, covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze, and wearing a mask in public spaces.
- Look after your mental health. The winter months can take a toll on our mental wellbeing, so make sure you’re looking after your mental health, just as you do your physical health. If you are feeling down, speak to someone – a friend, family member, or a healthcare professional like your doctor.
Need more advice?
Want to learn more about how to look after yourself this winter? Visit these websites for more useful information.
NHS – Seasonal vaccinations and winter health
Age UK – How to keep warm and well in winter
Marie Curie – 16 tips on how to stay warm in cold weather
British Heart Foundation – Winter wellness: how to keep healthy and warm
Where to get urgent healthcare Northumberland
Where to get urgent healthcare if you live in Northumberland
Accident and Emergency departments in our area are already seeing large increases in the number of visitors as we head into winter. Unless the issue is potentially life-threatening, consider using one of the Urgent Care Centres or Minor Injuries Units in the region. Here you can be treated for things such as cuts, strains and bites and children’s minor ailments. Remember that pharmacists can give advice and some medications without an appointment. If you’re unsure of where to go, NHS 111 can point you in the right direction.
Opening times
Urgent Care Centres
- Wansbeck General Hospital (Ashington): 8.00am-10.00pm
- Hexham General Hospital: 8.00am-10.00pm
- North Tyneside General Hospital: 8.00am-12 midnight
Minor Injuries Units
- Alnwick Infirmary: 7.45am to 8.30pm
- Berwick Infirmary: 24 hours
For advice on and support with children and young people’s health, visit the Healthier Together website. You can find lots of information about NHS and community services on our Find Services webpage.
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.
