Your feedback October 2025
Your NHS and social care feedback October 2025
Top issues
This month we heard mixed feedback about GP services with a few people saying the appointment booking process had improved. We also heard about long waiting times for audiology appointments and long distances to travel to hospital outpatients appointments.
This month’s focus
This month we were out and about at our Hear to Hear events in Alnwick, Hexham, Morpeth, Seaton Valley, Prudhoe, Blyth and Cramlington. We also attended Hexham Mart, Thriving Together’s information sharing event in Ashington and had a table at the Young at Heart event in Blyth.
We hosted a ‘Mind the Gap’ session organised by Northumberland Health and Wellbeing VSCE Network, around farmers’ mental health.
Our online session was from Northumberland Talking Therapies, Tyneside and Northumberland MIND, and Northumberland Recovery College on ‘prioritising mental health in the workplace’, in support of World Mental Health Day. The session included a guided reflection and tips for dealing with stress. This was our second highest attended online event of this year.
Our ‘Pharmacy First’ project took place throughout October, with the aim of finding out people’s awareness and experience of the scheme. The results of this will be published in November.
Positive feedback example
A patient left positive feedback about their GP surgery.
“I get fantastic treatment at my GP surgery. It doesn’t matter whether it’s the receptionists, the practice nurses, the GPs or recently a trainee GP, they are all knowledgeable, approachable, thorough and very, very caring. I don’t think anyone can ask for more.”
Ashington and Blyth resident
Negative feedback example
A patient asked for a simple audiology appointment as her hearing aids are whistling. There are no obvious signs of what’s wrong but the person is very social and relies on the hearing aids. They have been told it’s at least 13 weeks wait for an appointment.
Cramlington, Bedlington and Seaton Valley resident
Impact
A person asked us for support at our Hexham General Hospital Here to Hear event in June 2025. They wanted help to find a missing hospital appointment letter and scan result on the NHS App. Their GP had received the letter but it wasn’t showing on the App.
We confirmed the details were not there and advised them to contact the consultant’s secretary or PALS for support to get the information uploaded onto the App, or speak to GP reception.
This month we received an update. The patient had followed our advice and contacted PALS, who had carried out an investigation.
The outcome was that the letter and scan result were added to their health record on the NHS App and they had an apology from the department concerned.
Information and Signposting Service
We were able to help people find the information they need on a range of issues and services, including counselling for young people, audiology, carers’ rights and cancer support groups.
