December 2024 newsletter
Our last newsletter of the year is out now. Find out how to have your say on audiology services, help shape adult social care in Northumberland, plus tips from mental health charity Mind to help you cope this Christmas. View the pdf or get a copy to your inbox.
Christmas and New Year hours
Our office will close at 1pm on Tuesday 24 December 2024, reopening on Thursday 2 January 2025. While we are away you can find lots of information about local support and services at our find services and your health webpages.
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a healthy New Year, from all the team here at Healthwatch Northumberland.
Adapt (NE)’s 33rd AGM
The Adapt (NE) 33rd AGM took place today and we were delighted to share some of our new information booklets with the High Sheriff of Northumberland, who attended the event. These include our cost of living information resource and mental health support booklet.
Pictured are: Liz Prudhoe, Director, Adapt (NE), Lorraine Hershon, Chair, Adapt (NE) Board, Derry Nugent, Project Coordinator, Healthwatch Northumberland, and Lucia Bridgeman, High Sheriff of Northumberland.
Newsletter November 2024
It’s time to let us know what you think of your local pharmacy, so that the council can plan these services across our communities. We have free online events from STAMMA and Macular Society, plus information on Carers Rights Day and how check eligibility for Pension Credit. View a pdf version below or leave your details to get our e-newsletter each month.
We welcome Apprentice Evan to the team this month. He’ll be working with us at Healthwatch Northumberland as part of his Business Administration Apprenticeship with Adapt (NE). Evan will be working across everything we do, including communications, marketing, research and engagement, so you may see him at one of our drop-in events in the near future!
October 2024 newsletter
This month you can have your say on ambulance services, ask for a copy of our new mental health support booklet, read about the surprising health benefits of walking, and find free group walks near you. You can also read about where to find us this month, plus details of mental health and online events.
This month we launch our Annual Event, which this year will be held in Berwick. This free event is for local people to hear more about the health, care and support services available in the area. We also want to hear from women and girls about what matters most when it comes to their health, as we launch the Big Conversation. You can also read about the new NHS 111 mental health service, mental health drop-in events across the county, and the Northumbria Police Safe and Found initiative.
We’ve now published our Annual report which reviews our work over the past year. Also in this month’s newsletter, how to share your views on Northumberland SEND services, Samaritans Awareness Day, and changes to hospital visiting at Northumbria Healthcare hospitals.
Seafit event a success!
We were happy to be back at (a very windy!) Amble Quayside in July as part of the The Fishermen’s Mission Seafit event. We joined Health Trainers plus health charities and organisations to hear from fishermen, their families and the local community about accessing healthcare services. Bringing services to the quayside is a good way to hear from this community which can have difficulty accessing healthcare services due to the nature of their work. There are plans for another event later in the year.
May 2024 newsletter
In the May newsletter we’re giving a final shout-out for our Annual Survey, where you can tell us how satisfied you are with the services you’ve used, and where you think we should focus our work in the coming year.
You can also find out about self-referral to Northumberland’s Health Trainers, plans to add fluoride to our water supplies, and where to get a Covid-19 spring booster if you’re eligible.
April 2024 news
Our April newsletter launches this year’s Annual Survey, in which we’re asking you to help choose the services we should focus on in the next 12 months. You can also read more about the Pharmacy First service, asking for reasonable adjustments in healthcare settings, plus details on our next lunchtime online event where we’ll hear what Health Trainers can offer.
New leaflets have landed!
The Health-watch dog is happy to have taken delivery of our new information leaflets, featuring Wylam Bridge. We’ll have the leaflets with us when we’re out and about, and you can ask for a free postal copy by getting in touch.
March 2024 newsletter
Our newsletter for March includes details of how your views can help shape future NHS dentistry services in the region, information on free NHS Health Checks, plus where to get mental health support locally and how to join our ‘growing healthy’ online event.
Matthew joins our volunteer team!
Our newest volunteer Matthew joined us for his first event as a Community Engagement Volunteer recently, when we held a drop-in event at Wentworth Leisure Centre in Hexham. Matthew says he wants to make a positive difference to people’s lives, whilst developing his skills and gaining experience. Look out for Matthew at our Here to Hear drop-ins and other events in the community.
February 2024 newsletter
This month we are looking for board members and volunteers to support our work here at Healthwatch Northumberland. If you would like to get involved we’d love to hear from you! We’re also asking for feedback on health visiting services and the proposed changes to GP services in Harbottle. You can also find out about the veterans’ Warm Hub in Berwick, and our online and in-person events.
Join our team! as a board member or volunteer
Could you help us ensure people across Northumberland has their voice heard when it comes to NHS and social care? We have some fantastic volunteering opportunities for 2024 here at Healthwatch Northumberland! We’re looking for board members to help steer the direction of our work, and for volunteers to help our staff team to carry out that work.
Christmas and New Year hours
Our office will close at 5pm on Friday 22 December 2023, reopening on Tuesday 2 January 2024. Whilst we are away you can find lots of information about local support and services at our find services and your health webpages.
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a healthy New Year, from all the team here at Healthwatch Northumberland.
December 2023 newsletter
Our newsletter gives details of how you can get hold of our new cost of living information booklet, plus details of our next online session which is on cancer support, and tips on staying well this winter.
View the Healthwatch Northumberland December 2023 newsletter
News for November 2023
This month we’re reminding you where to get healthcare this winter and sharing details of urgent care centres across our region. You can also find out if you are eligible for help with prescription costs, and you can find out more about the services of the fantastic Wag and Company dog befriending service.
AGM 2023 – that’s a wrap!
A big thank you to everyone who came to our AGM at East Bedlington Community Centre on 18 October. We had a really interesting and engaging day, and would like to say a special thank you to our guest speaker Gill O’Neill. Gill is the Executive Director of Public Health, Inequalities and Stronger Communities.
October newsletter
Autumn is here and we have lots of opportunities for you to have your say on the NHS services you and your family use. It’s also time for our AGM where we will here about the inequalities plan in Northumberland from the public health team. Plus as ever, we have lots of in-person events where you can come and talk to us and our online information session is around self-harm.
QEHS Freshers’ Fair 2023
We attended the Freshers’ Fair at Queen Elizabeth High School in Hexham to hear from students about their experiences of health services, and to talk about the volunteering opportunities here at Healthwatch Northumberland. Student volunteer Jess came along to help out and we gave out lots of freebies too.
September 2023 newsletter
Find out where we’ll be in a town near you over the next couple of months, plus – our AGM is happening soon! We’d love you to join us. All the details are in the newsletter and you can register online.
Latest news – August 2023
Have a look at our latest newsletter for ways to feedback on services, and details of our in-person and online events including our free online social prescribing session where you can find out more about this free service.
Meet our new Chair
Our new Chair of the Healthwatch Northumberland Board is Peter Standfield.
Peter has enjoyed a varied career in the military, NHS and also in the private sector. He will be representing us at high-level meetings across health and social care in the region.
Read more about Peter and meet the rest of our board members.
July 2023 newsletter
Our July newsletter is out now and has details of our Annual Report for 2022/23, how you can get involved in a type 2 diabetes study, plus we wish the NHS a happy 75th birthday.
Chair David Thompson steps down
Our Board Chair, David Thompson, stepped down this month after six years in the role. Vice Chair Margaret Young is also leaving after six years in post. Peter Standfield has been appointed as our new Chair – we’ll bring you more information about him soon!
Read our latest newsletter – June 2023
Did you know there’s a new way to complain about primary care services? Read more in our June newsletter, plus information about temporary changes at Berwick Hospital, and how to get a copy of the new Blue Book of dementia support and activities in Northumberlan.
Newsletter for April 2023
Find all of our latest news in one place in the April newsletter. You can read more about the Healthier Together website which has lots of info for parents of young children, our latest events and drop-ins plus how our Information and Signposting Service helped a parent progress an ADHD assessment for her child.
Region celebrates 10 years of Healthwatch
We had a trip to The Riverside Stadium in Middlesborough in March, to celebrate 10 years of Healthwatch! Local Healthwatch from across the North East and Cumbria met to reflect on our achievements over the last decade and look at our plans and challenges for the future. There are more photos from the day on our Facebook page.
We say goodbye to board member Catherine
In January we said goodbye to one of longest serving board members, Catherine Lee, of North of Tyne PALS. Catherine is off to enjoy her retirement, and we say a big thank you to her for all of her input, wisdom and support over the years.
Catherine is pictured here with our Chair, David Thompson.
What’s new – January 2023
This month we’re asking about your experiences of NHS and social care services over the last 12 months, in our shorter-than-usual Annual Survey.
We also have some useful NHS guides around hospital stays, a free online epilepsy information event, and details on how you can access social prescribing – non-medical support to help you with mental health and wellbeing.
Could you be our new chair?
We’re looking for someone to become the new chair of the Healthwatch Northumberland Board. The chair will lead the board in setting and overseeing our strategy and chair quarterly board meetings. They will also attend high-level external meetings, such as the Health and Wellbeing Board, and act as an ambassador for Healthwatch Northumberland.
See if this is the role for you in the Healthwatch Northumberland Board Chair information pack
New here to hear drop-in locations
We have two new locations for our monthly #HereToHear sessions. Our West Northumberland drop-in has moved from Haltwhistle to The Spetchells Centre in Prudhoe, and you can now find us at East Bedlington Community Centre instead of Cramlington Hub.
Call in to leave feedback, or ask a question about support and services, in confidence.
November 2022 newsletter
This month’s newsletter has details of how to get help with travel costs for healthcare appointments and information about the rising cost of living, You can also find details of our free online mental wellbeing event and our here to hear drop-in events.
Thank you for a great AGM!
Thank you to everyone who came to our AGM ‘All change!’ at Northumberland College in Ashington, including our fantastic guests, amazing speakers and staff at Northumberland College for looking after us so well. Around 100 people were at the event, where we heard about upcoming changes in NHS and social care from those leading the changes. We also gave a review of our work over the last 12 months and enjoyed lunch and a chance to chat with speakers and guests.
We’re already looking forward to next year’s event!
Students share their views at Hexham Freshers Fair
Our student volunteers Molly and Jess helped us hear from sixth form students at Queen Elizabeth High School in Hexham at their recent Freshers Fair. We were asking how the students were feeling in terms of their mental health and about the NHS services they have used recently. We gave out lots of freebies too and had some interest from students who are interested in volunteering with us here at Healthwatch Northumberland.
All change! You’re invited to our AGM 2022
Our AGM this year will be in person at Northumberland College on Wednesday 19 October. Join us to hear about changes in health and social care services in Northumberland, particularly around integration and digitisation. We’ll also hear from health and social care students about why they have chosen to work in the sector. The event will be followed by lunch and a chance to chat to our team, speakers and other guests.
Karen gains digital skills
We’re very proud of our Office Support Volunteer Karen, who has recently gained certificates in digital skills. She finished her course this month, which included a Powerpoint presentation on the role of Healthwatch Northumberland! Karen has already been putting her new skills to use here in the office, helping us with reports and updating our database.
Our newest volunteer gets inducted!
Thank you to Being Woman in Ashington for welcoming us to their new space to carry out a volunteer induction with Sofia. We are very much looking forward to having her as part of the volunteering team soon. If you’d like to volunteer with us, have a look at our volunteering page.
Volunteers Week 2022
We invited our fabulous volunteers for afternoon tea today to mark Volunteers Week 2022. We wanted to say a huge ‘thank you’ for all that they do for us here at Healthwatch Northumberland, supporting us in our role as local health and care champion. It was great to catch up the sunny patio at Cafe @ Burn Lane, here at Adapt (NE) in Hexham.
Amble SeaFit event
We joined the Fishermen’s Mission‘s at its SeaFit event at Amble Puffin Festival this month. The SeaFit programme brings together organisations providing health information and health screening for fishermen and their families, allowing them to access services more easily.
It was great to speak to so many people from Amble and visitors from across the county about their experiences of care and how satisfied they are with the services used.
It was great to speak to so many people from Amble and visitors from across the county about their experiences of care and how satisfied they are with the services used.
Jubilee Bank Holiday
We’ll be closed for the Jubilee Bank Holiday on 2 and 3 June, and back on Monday 6 June. You will be able to find us at the Fishermen’s Mission SeaFit event as part of Amble Puffin Festival on Saturday 4 June. If you’re visiting the event do call by to say hello, take part in our activities or pick up a freebie!
Latest News: May 2022
Our May 2022 newsletter gives details of all the face to face and online events we have coming up over the next few weeks. You can also read examples of where our Signposting and Information Service have helped people with queries about services. If you’d like to receive our newsletter to your inbox or letterbox leave your details and we’ll add you to the list.
We’ve been out and about this spring!
We’ve been out and about this spring with our fabulous team of volunteers, gathering your views on your local pharmacy services and your experiences of all NHS and social care services. We’ve been to markets and leisure centres, supermarkets and community venues across the county with information, giveaways and a listening ear. Find out if we’ll be in a town near you at our events page.
Happy Easter
We will be closed from 5.00pm on Thursday 14 April until 9.00am on Tuesday 19 April for the Easter weekend.
A very happy Easter to you, from all of the team here at Healthwatch Northumberland.
Planning Day in Blyth
Our staff, board and volunteers were able to meet in Blyth in February for our annual development day. Our task was to consider the current issues of population health inequalities in Northumberland and how we might address these in our work in the coming year, supporting those at greatest disadvantage to have their voice heard.
It was fantastic to be able to meet in person at the quayside venue of Blyth Community Enterprise Centre! The board will decide on our work plan at its next meeting in March.
How are we doing?
If you’ve used our Signposting and Information Service, or we’ve helped you resolve an issue, or if you’ve been to one of our forums or other events, or visited our website or social media pages for information, please let us know what you think.
By letting us know how we’re doing, you can help us improve in our role as your health and social care champion, ensuring people in Northumberland have their say and help to shape NHS and social care services for the benefit of everyone in the county.
Christmas and New Year
Our office will close at 5.00pm on Thursday 23 December 2021, reopening on Tuesday 4 January 2022. There’s lots of information about local support and services at our Find Services and Your Health webpages.
A Merry Christmas from all the team, and we look forward to hearing from you in the new year.
December News
Our December newsletter is now available to download. We’re asking for your experiences of accessing NHS dental services this month, and updating you on what to expect from your GP practice. If you’d like to get a copy via email each month leave your details and we’ll add you to our mailing list.
Carers Rights Day
Carers Northumberland held an Information Event in Cramlington on 25 November, which is national Carers Rights Day. As well as a ‘know your rights’ workshop for carers, we and a variety of other local organisations were invited to have stand at an Information Fair. Carers and their families could pick up some information and speak to organisations to find out what support and services they offer.
Healthwatch Week
The Healthwatch Conference is a chance each year for Healthwatch England and local Healthwatch across the country, to come together and share ideas, learn from each and look at how and where we can work in the future. We were asked to present to the conference this year at two sessions. Project Coordinator Derry shared our Quality Framework process, which helped us to look at what we’re doing well and where there are gaps. Engagement and Insight Officer Tim was asked to talk about how we capture the demographic information of people we are hearing from. We were very happy to share our skills and ideas with the network!
Our AGM and Review of the Year 2021
Thank you to everyone who came to our AGM this year. We were online again and had over 80 people join us. If you were unable to join us, you can view the recording of the event below, along with all the questions raised and answers.
Team Trip to The Sill
This week the Healthwatch Northumberland team headed to The Sill in the Northumberland National Park. We were joined by two of our Board members, Mike and Kevin, and two of our lovely volunteers Denyse and Hayley. We managed to miss the rain and enjoyed a walk to see beautiful views of Hadrian’s Wall. It was great to see each other in person again and learn all about the National Park.
September Board Meeting
Our board meets every quarter and this month we were able to have the meeting in person for the first time since January 2020. Board and staff members met at The Hub in Cramlington, which offers spacious rooms with lots of ventilation, and everyone was pleased to be able to safely catch up during the meeting. The next board meeting will be in December. If you have a question for our board please get in touch.
September News
Our September newsletter is out now, where you can find out about our work around care home visiting, how to join our board and how to get involved in your local Patient Participation Group. To get the newsletter to your inbox every month just add your email address at our Keep in Touch page.
Back on the Road
Our summer events across the county gave us a chance to get back out in communities across Northumberland and hear about your experiences of using services. We held 13 events – all outside at places such as markets, libraries and supermarkets – from Berwick to Blyth, Haltwhistle to Prudhoe. We gave out over 600 of our annual surveys and 200 goodie bags!
Look out for details of our regular monthly drop-ins at locations across the county which will hopefully start in the autumn.
June Newsletter
In our June newsletter we’re asking for your views on end of life care. It’s not easy to talk about but letting those providing care know what matters to you and your family will help services plan and improve.
We also let you know how to opt out of NHS data sharing, talk about what you should expect from social care services and give details of the latest Healthwatch reports.
Ask the Board
Our Board next meets on 22 June 2021. If you have a question you’d like to ask them, about the agenda, or any aspect of our work as independent champion for people who use health and social care services, please email it to: derryn@healthwatchnorthumberland.co.uk, by Monday 21 June.
Your question will be raised during the meeting and you will get a reply within 10 working days.
May News
Our May Newsletter is out now for you to download. This month we’re asking you to tell us how you feel about us getting back out and about in communities across Northumberland again, plus details of our next online forum on care home visiting and local mental health support.
Get these updates by email or through the post. Just tell us your details.
Team Walk at Northumberlandia
The Healthwatch Northumberland team met face to face for the first time this year, with a bracing walk at Northumberlandia in Cramlington. The weather decided to break that day and it was certainly chilly and damp, but we enjoyed a catch up and remembering what we all look like away from the virtual meetings we have got used to. We hope this will be the first of many!
Spring Competition
As part of #ActiveApril and our #HWNlandWalks initiative, the team here at Healthwatch Northumberland shared photos of our favourite local walks. For our spring competition we’d like to see your photos of activities you’ve been doing over the last year to look after your mental and/or physical wellbeing. This could be anything from your favourite walk to gardening, baking or crafts.
Email your photo to: info@healthwatchnorthumberland.co.uk and tell us your name and which age category you are entering for.
Children’s prize (age 13 and under) – Outdoor play splash mat
Adult’s prize – Deluxe picnic set backpack
Competition closes at 5pm on Friday 7 May 2021. Good luck!
We welcome Tim to the team
Tim joins us as Engagement and Insight Officer, after having spent most of his career working with children, young people and their families both in the voluntary sector and local authorities across the North East. Before this he worked in the adventure travel industry where he developed his interest in customer satisfaction surveying and analysis.
In his spare time Tim also volunteers as a Trustee of West Northumberland Food Bank.
Tim is looking forward to hearing your experiences and views of NHS and social care services in the county.
Healthwatch Northumberland Walks
One thing we’ve all been able to do over the last year, is go for a walk close to home. The benefits of walking, on both our mental and physical health are well known and much talked about, and our team here at Healthwatch Northumberland have been sharing photos and stories of local walks and what they mean to us.
As it’s #ActiveApril and #StressAwarenessMonth, we’d like to share some of these walks with you. As the lockdown restrictions ease and we’re able to travel a little bit further afield, we can explore more walks across our region. Share your photos with us on Instagram using the hashtag #HWNlandWalks.
March News
Our latest newsletter has information on how you can tell us your experiences of visiting loved ones in care homes over the last 12 months, and what would help going forward, as restrictions are eventually lifted. There’s also information on support for eating distress and young people’s mental health.
February News
It’s a short month and time for our latest updates. This time there’s info on our free event for parents and carers, around young peoples’ mental wellbeing, plus we ask you about Day Services and give you an update on Covid-19 vaccines.
Newsletter January 2021
Read our latest newsletter, which has lots of information on the Covid-19 vaccination programme in Northumberland, how to tell us about keeping int ouch with family in care homes, and local support and services.
New – Call Back Service
We’re offering a new call back service for you to share your experiences of NHS and social care services, or to use our information and signposting service. Just text 07413 385275 and one of our friendly staff or volunteers will call you back at a time to suit you. So if you know someone who’s not online – that’s fine! Let them know how to get in touch via text.
Christmas and New Year Office Closure
Our office will close at 5.00pm on Wednesday 23 December and reopen on Monday 4 January 2021.
You can still leave feedback about the services you’ve used, or ask us a question, via the Get in Touch page. There’s up to date information about Covid-19 – guidelines, support and services – at our Coronavirus Information page, and lots of info on where to get help for all kinds of health and social care issues at our Your Health pages. We wish you a peaceful Christmas and New Year and looking forward to hearing from you in 2021.
Christmas Jumper Day
Friday 11 December was national Christmas Jumper Day, raising money for Save the Children. Our team wore their Christmas jumpers for meetings that day to get in the spirit and donated to the cause!
December Newsletter
Our latest newsletter which includes an end of year message from our Chair, David Thompson, can be read at the link below. Leave your details to get our newsletter straight to your inbox or letterbox.
Helen joins the team
Engagement Officer Helen Brown joined the team in November and we’re very pleased to have her on board! She replaces Lesley Tweddell who has left for a career in education.
Helen previously worked for Talking Matters Northumberland on a project which supported people getting physically active to improve mental wellbeing. Hopefully Helen will be out and about talking to people across the county next year, but until then will be listening to your NHS and social care experiences on the phone or via our online public forums.
Colin gets online
This photo says it all! Last month, perseverance coupled with some technical support by telephone, saw Healthwatch Northumberland volunteer Colin make it onto Zoom for the first time. Colin is now looking forward to joining in with our online events and taking part in our engagement forums. If you would like to get online but aren’t sure how, please get in touch and one of our friendly team can take you through it step-by-step.
Watch our AGM from 21 October
Thanks to everyone who came along to our AGM and Review of the Year – our first one online! We thank our guests from Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust for speaking to us about remote healthcare consultations – the benefits and limitations of these and what we can expect in the future – and to everyone who submitted questions. We will publish answers to all the questions asked in the next few weeks; in the meantime, you can watch the recording of the event if you missed it.
Review of the Year and AGM 2020 – Join us!
Come along to our online event and find out about our work over the last 12 months and how we made a difference to people in Northumberland who use NHS and social care services.
We will also have Northumbria Healthcare NHS Trust talking about the use of digital technology in accessing services – we’ll explore how the coronavirus crisis has accelerated the move to online appointments and consultations, what has worked well and not so well, and what we can expect in the future.
You can ask a question in advance or at the Q&A session in our webinar. We’d love to know what you think.
We’re on Instagram!
We’re now on Instagram and would love a follow from you if you’re on this popular social media platform. We’ll be posting about what we’re up to, how you can get involved and where to find support and information on all thing health and social care.
Lucy wins our Goodies Giveaway
Congratulations to Lucy Cooke of Blyth who won our Pride month Facebook competition! Lucy won one of our rainbow sequin soft toys, hand gel, mints, stress balls and pens.
Win a prize for Pride month!
We’ve had a stand at Northumberland Pride since the first year and it’s a shame this fabulous event can’t take place in 2020. We usually give away one of our very popular rainbow dogs at the event. To celebrate #PrideMonth this June we have one to give away to one of our Facebook followers, as part of a goody bag which includes 10 bottles of hand sanitiser gel. Just ‘like’ our Facebook page and the giveaway post to be entered into the draw, which end on 30 June.
Join us at our online forums
As we will be unable to get out and about across the county to meet with and listen to people for a while, we’re holding some public online forums, and we’d like you to join us. If you are unable to take part but would like to tell us about your experiences of these services, members of the team will be available by phone, text and email (see below) each Wednesday between 3.00pm and 4.00pm to listen, answer any questions and help with providing information about services.
Tell us your story
We’d like to hear about your experience, or that of a friend or family member, during the Covid-19 crisis.
At this time, more than ever, we are all grateful for our health and social care services and how they have adapted and continued to provide care at this very difficult time. Some services have changed the way they communicate and work. We’d really like to hear your story of using any service, including pharmacies, hospitals, GP services, care homes, urgent dental or optician services, mental health services, patient transport, ambulance and urgent care services.
Coronavirus Information
Our team is mainly working from home as of 23 March 2020 but we are still here for you during this time. Please get in touch if you would like information on any health, care or support services locally, or would like to tell us about your recent experiences of using any NHS or social care service.
We have created a dedicated coronavirus information page to help you find all the latest information during the pandemic.
The Healthwatch Northumberland team expands as we welcome Laura
Laura Kane has joined the team as our Communication and Marketing Assistant. This is a new role which will help us reach more people across the county and find out what matters most to residents of Northumberland about local health and social care services.
Bringing experience in communications and marketing from a variety of sectors, we are looking forward to working with Laura in our role as independent champion for health and social care users. Don’t forget to let us know about any events, support groups and activities happening in your area.
Volunteer Officers get their heads together
Our Volunteer Officer Emma meets up with other volunteer coordinators from local Healthwatch across the North East at regular meetings. These meetings are a great way to share ideas, information and a chocolate biscuit or two! For more information on how to get involved in volunteering here at Healthwatch Northumberland see our Volunteer page.
Harry makes a start during Student Volunteering Week
It’s Student Volunteering Week so what a great time for our student volunteer to start with us! Sixth form student Harry will be helping out with our digital communications and helping us reach more people across Northumberland. Welcome to the team Harry.
Speak Up 2020 – with our Annual Survey
Did you use any health or social care services last year? !t might be a new year but your experiences from 2019 still matter. By telling us about the care you received and what’s important to you, you can help us set our work for the coming year so that we can be more effective on your behalf. This can be as a patient or carer. Health services include hospital services, GPs, dentists, pharmacists, mental health and ambulance services. Social care is care in the home or in a residential or nursing care home.
You can also come and talk to us and tell us what you think of health and social care services at one of our public events. If you are unable to make it to an event you can leave your feedback via our online survey or get in touch to ask for a postal copy with freepost return.
Denim4Dementia Day 2020
Friday 24 January was Denim4Dementia Day, an Alzheimers Society initiative raising awareness of dementia. Someone in the UK develops dementia every three minutes. Staff wore denim to work and donated £1 to Alzheimers Society research.
Christmas and New Year office closure
Our office will close at 5.00pm on Monday 23 December 2019, re-opening at 9.00am on Thursday 2 January 2020. Please visit our ‘find services‘ and ‘your health‘ pages for lots of information about local services. We wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a healthy and happy New Year.
Leah joins the volunteer team
Leah is also a Year 12 student and has started as a volunteer with us here at Healthwatch Northumberland. As Office Support Volunteer, Leah will be helping our team with administration tasks and learning about the day to day running of our office and services. Really pleased to have you on board Leah!
Alnwick Meet and Greet
Our Meet and Greet in Alnwick this month was a chance for local people and representatives of organisations to meet our team and share views on health and social care services. Taking place before our board meeting at St James’s Church Centre, around 20 people dropped in for coffee and a chat; an opportunity to share information and network.
Welcome to our volunteer Anna
Fantastic to have our young volunteer Anna joining us in the office this month! Anna is a year 12 student and will be researching and helping to design information which is user-friendly and accessible to everyone in our county. Welcome to the team Anna!
Find out more about our volunteer opportunities.
Healthwatch England Conference 2019
Project Coordinator Derry Nugent and board members David Thompson and Kelvin Rushworth attended this year’s national Healthwatch Conference in Birmingham at the beginning of October. As well as a range of keynote speakers a programme of workshops and sessions were on offer. The event was a great opportunity to network and share ideas and best practice with other local Healthwatch.
The Big Sing
We took part in The Big Sing as part of BBC Music Day this September. Our host organisation Adapt (NE) in Hexham organised the event alongside many other happening all over the county. The theme this year was music and wellbeing – the power of music to inspire, bring us together and make a positive impact. People all over Northumberland got together to sing ‘Hey Jude’ by The Beatles, at the same time, and you can see the fantastic results of everyone’s efforts here in the compilation film.
Join us at our Conference 2019
You can now register for our bigger and better conference! This free event is at The Phoenix Theatre, Blyth on Wednesday 16 October 2019, from 10.00am to 3.30pm. If you use NHS, health and social care services, this is your chance to get involved in community conversations about services, with the people that provide services. We’ll have guest speakers and listening workshops on the topics of mental health, dementia, substance abuse, GP services, patient involvement and more. There will also be an ‘information buffet’ and lunch provided. We hope you can make it. Book your place.
Welcome Caroline
Caroline Janes joined the Healthwatch Northumberland team this month as Engagement and Insight Officer. Caroline will be out and about across Northumberland listening to people’s experiences of care and helping to signpost them to local support services. She will also play a big part in reporting on the work we have done and the feedback we have gathered. Welcome on board Caroline!
Donovan helps out
We had extra help in the office this week, when Engagement Officer Lesley’s son came in as part of ‘bring your child to work day’. Donovan made posters, helped plan some engagement activities and made a presentation of what he’d learnt to share with his classmates. Well done Donovan – a future team member in the making!
Board Meeting – Bellingham
Our June board meeting was held in Bellingham; with a meet and greet session at the Carriages Tea Room beforehand. Members of the public and local organisations are invited to join us before each meeting – which are held in different locations around the county – to have a cuppa and a chat with staff and board members. Details of the September board meeting will be available soon.
Volunteering
Our new volunteering leaflets have landed! These should help us recruit some volunteers from all corners of the county. If you would like to help make health and social care services better for your community, have a look at our Volunteer Page to find out more about how you can get involved. Please let us know if you can help by putting some of the leaflets out in venues near to you.
Northumberland Pride 2019
We loved being at Northumberland Pride for the second year running at Alnwick Rugby Club. There was a great turn out and it was lovely to hear from so many visitors about their health and social care experiences. We gave away lots of information about local services along with dozens of fluffy pens, stress balls, bags and notebooks plus the Pride dog in our free raffle. We’re already looking forward to next year! See all our photos here.
Living Well in Tynedale Event
We had a stand at this well attended event in Hexham Abbey in May. The Abbey was buzzing with representatives of organisations of all kinds, live music, activities and visitors. We spoke to people about how they can tell us about the health and social care they’ve received, our signposting service and our new volunteering programme.
NHS Long Term Plan Focus Groups
As part of our work asking people “What Would You do?” around the investment in the NHS over the next ten years, we held two focus groups. One was around mental health and the other on dementia. Feedback from these sessions will be fed back to the NHS, with the aim of ensuring the final plan meets the needs of different communities. The findings will be available in June.
Emma joins the Team
Emma Grimwood joins the Healthwatch Northumberland team this month as our Volunteer Coordinator. Previously a Volunteer Coordinator for Northumbria Healthcare breastfeeding peer support service, Emma also has an extensive and varied background in the voluntary sector. Over the next few months Emma will be building a team of volunteers to enable more people in Northumberland to have their say about health and social care services. Please give her a call if you would like to get involved.
Annual Survey 2019
We would really like to hear about your experiences of health and social care services in Northumberland over the last year, through our annual survey. You can share your thoughts and experiences as a patient or as a carer. Your feedback will help us set our work priorities for the coming year. Knowing what is important to you helps us to work more effectively on your behalf. You could also be in with a chance of winning one of three prizes when you take the time to tell us about your experiences. Thank you for your support.
Christmas 2018
We’re almost at the end of another busy year, where we’ve spoken to people from all corners of the county and received hundreds of pieces of feedback from those who use NHS services and social care. We have recently finished a three week stint talking to people in the Emergency Department at The Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital, and will be sharing our findings in the new year. Please note that our offices will be closed from 3.30pm on Friday 21 December, re-opening at 9.00am on Wednesday 2 January, 2019. Thank you for your support, and a Merry Christmas from all the team here at Healthwatch Northumberland.
AGM 2018
Our AGM on 16 October was well attended with almost 100 people at the event. Our thanks go to everyone who came along, as an individual, health professional or with an information stand, with special thanks to guest speaker Stephen Blackman from North of Tyne Local Pharmaceutical Committee The minutes will be available really soon on the ‘News’ and ‘Our Work’ pages of the website.
Healthwatch Conference
Project Coordinator Derry Nugent attended this year’s Healthwatch Annual Conference in Stratford, along with board members Margaret Young and Kelvin Rushworth. The event is a chance for local Healthwatch staff from across England to come together, share ideas and recognise the achievements that have been made during the year. See if you can spot them on this group photograph!
Harry joins the Team
We welcome new board member Harry Wilson to the Healthwatch Northumberland team this month. He is currently Chairman of Glendale Practice Patient Participation Group, and you will be able to meet him at our AGM in Newbiggin in October.
Date for your diary – Healthwatch Northumberland AGM 2018
Our AGM is on Tuesday 16 October at Newbiggin Sports & Community Centre, starting at 10am. This is your chance to hear about our work over the past year, what you’ve told us and how we’ve made a difference in the community. Our guest speaker is Stephen Blackman, Chief Officer of North of Tyne Local Pharmaceutical Committee. Information stands from local health and support groups and organisations will be at the event for you to chat to and find out more. There might even be a giveaway or two! Lunch and refreshments will be provided for all guests. Register here.
Team polo tops are here!
We’re very pleased with our new team polo tops, which can probably be seen from space in all honesty! But hopefully they will help us get noticed when we’re out and about listening to people about their care experiences.
Please help us spread the word
With the new General Data Protection Regulations coming into effect in May, we, like many organisations, lost a significant amount of contacts from our newsletter/supporters list. Please help us get the numbers back up, so we can share the work we do, local health news and events with more people. You can join our mailing list here.
Adapt (NE) retains Healthwatch Northumberland Contract
We are pleased to report that Adapt (NE) has retained the contract to deliver Healthwatch Northumberland for another three years, so our contact details haven’t changed. Please get in touch via our contact page.
Healthwatch is five years old…!
Healthwatch across England turns on 1st April! That’s five years we’ve been listening to people in Northumberland about their experiences of health and social care.
Give us your feedback about local care, good or bad, and what matters to you via our website, on the phone or by filling in one of our freepost feedback cards. Every comment counts.
Farewell to Kirsten Francis
We would like to wish board member Kirsten Francis of Northumberland County Council good luck as she leaves for new ventures. Kirsten has been part of the Healthwatch Northumberland board since its inception in 2013. We welcome two new independent board members, Kelvin Rushworth and Hayley Brown, we will bring you more information on them and their roles soon.
Koast Radio
Derry was invited along to Koast Radio earlier this month to talk about the role of Healthwatch and how people can give feedback and be involved in decisions which affect them. We’ve been invited back in the future so hopefully we can make regular broadcasts.We think she was a natural!
Adverse Weather – stay in touch
Like a lot of people our staff are struggling to get the office in the bad weather this week, so our telephones may be unmanned at times. You can contact us through our Facebook and Twitter pages if you need a response quickly, and can leave feedback via the website as usual. We hope everyone is able to stay safe and warm through the worst of the weather. Some hints and tips for keeping healthy during the winter can be found at the NHS Choices website.
Marketplace Debut
Our market stall debut was made at Morpeth Marketplace this month. On a glorious sunny day we set up a Healthwatch Northumberland stall so that we could listen to local people’s stories and experiences of the health and social care services used by themselves and their families, and what matters to them about these services. We had plenty of our pens, stressballs and lip balms to give away to those who left feedback or completed one of our annual surveys. Look out for us at a market near you soon!
Speak Up! with our annual survey
We would really like to hear about your experiences of health and social care in Northumberland over the last year through our annual survey. This can be as a patient or carer. Knowing what is important to you helps us to work more effectively on your behalf. Your views will be shared anonymously and stored in line with data protection regulations. You could also be in with a chance of winning a £25 Marks & Spencer when you take the time to tell us about your experiences.
Thank you for your support us as we ensure the health and social care needs of the people of Northumberland are heard, understood and met by those responsible for commissioning and delivering services.
Please respond by 28 February 2018. Thank you!
New Golden Guides for 2018
Heather from the Golden Guide delivered some of the new 2018 editions to our office this week. The guide aims to help older people enjoy life by discovering the broad range of opportunities, services and facilities in their local area.
It’s a great way to find activities, clubs and classes where you can socialise and have fun plus and there’s lots of information and advice about volunteering, learning a new skill and support for older 50s locally.
Hexhamtv interviews Project Coordinator Derry Nugent
With the announcement that some planned hospital operations are being delayed this month, both nationally and locally, Hexhamtv invited Derry to talk about the situation in the county and how you can feed back your experience good or bad, if you or those you care for are affected in any way by these circumstances.
Click here to view the interview.
Look out for our new posters and leaflets
We have some new leaflets, posters and wallet sized information cards which the team are ready to distribute across the county over the next few weeks. The materials are eye catching and informative and we hope they will help us reach people across Northumberland and raise awareness of what we do. We will drop information at as many venues as we can possibly get to, however if you would like some for your organisation or can help with distribution please get in touch.
Christmas and New Year
As we come to the end of a busy 2017 we’d like to thank you for your support of Healthwatch Northumberland. The AGM saw a record number of people attend and we’ve had some positive and constructive feedback on how we can make it an even better event next year. Thanks also go to those who came to the recent Great North Care Record meetings and contributed to some lively and thought provoking discussion. Our website, new this spring, has also received positive comments, particularly the ‘find services’ section where you can find a directory of local organisations and support groups. The site is continually changing so do get in touch with any suggestions. We have lots of projects underway right now which will continue into the new year, including mapping children and young people’s pathways to mental health services; more details to follow. Our office will close on Friday 22 December and re-open on Tuesday 2 January 2018. The team would like to wish you all a happy and healthy Christmas and New Year.
Hate Crime Event in Hexham
Anne was at the Northumbria Police Hate Crime event in Hexham this week. Held at the Abbey, the event saw an array of local organisations come together to showcase the support available on offer to the community, with the emphasis on hate crime and how we can work together to support, educate and liaise with one another.
A hate crime can include being called names, hassled or threatened, being beaten up, kicked or attacked, people swearing at you and making abusive remarks, people doing things to frighten, intimidate, or scare you, bullying at school, work or college, damage to your property or car or having things stolen, spitting or making insulting gestures.
SEND Roadshows
We’ve been at the In It Together and Northumberland County Council SEND roadshows this month which were held across the county at Ashington, Alnwick and Hexham. There was an enormous range of services and organisations present, a great opportunity for families with special educational needs and disabilities to find out what support is on offer. We’re looking forward to next year!
Prudhoe Play Day
The engagement team, Tania, Heather (pictured) and Anne, had a stand at this year’s Prudhoe Play Day, organised annually by children’s services. This year we had colouring and dressing up activities, free fruit and squidgy balls, plus some health related questions and dilemmas for parents.
A great day was had by all, until unfortunately rain stopped play. We’re already looking forward to next year!
Healthwatch Annual Conference 2017
Anne, Carole and Colin attended this year’s annual conference in Nottingham, giving the 152 local Healthwatch teams in England the chance meet, share and learn from each other. Our team attended workshops on things such as measuring impact, engaging with young people and mental health issues. The Healthwatch Network Awards ceremony took place in the evening, recognising the ways in which Healthwatch across the country have helped make people’s views of health and social care services heard over the last 12 months.
Northumberland CVA Volunteer Fair
Engagement staff Tania and Anne were at the Northumberland CVA volunteer fair in Ashington last week, which was a chance for people to see what opportunties there are for volunteering across the county. We spoke to lots of you about the what Healthwatch Northumberland do and were able to ‘signpost’ lots of people on to services such as Northumberland Independent Advocacy Service and Adapt NE Transport.
Out and About
We met lots of lovely people and listened to some informative and inspirational speakers at both the Northumberland Cancer Patient and Carer Group’s Annual Conference in March and the Ageing Well in Northumberland Conference in April. The Stepping into Spring event in Ashington was a fantastic showcase of activities and support for older people in the county, with events also happening in Bedlington and Wooler.
For more details of events where you can come and have a chat to us, plus other activities and events happening in your area, visit our ‘events‘ page.
Staff Team
We are really pleased to welcome David Thompson as the new Healthwatch Board Chair along with some new independent board members. We have recently been recruiting for a Vice Chair; the deadline for applications was Wednesday 24th May, and we’ll keep you updated as the process continues.
Derry Nugent took on the role of Project Coordinator in April and has been instrumental in recruiting some new engagement staff members. Meet everyone on the ‘our team’ page.
Annual Survey
Thank you to everyone who completed our annual survey earlier in the year. We had a better response than ever before and very much appreciate you taking the time to share your views with us. We will be bringing you updates on the outcomes and priorities really soon, but it’s encouraging to note that over 90% of services used were rated either okay, good or excellent. More to follow.
Welcome!
Welcome to our new website, which we hope is user friendly and easy to navigate. We have a new and improved ‘your health‘ section which gives comprehensive signposting advice about many health issues, plus for the first time we will be bringing you some exciting blog posts from staff, board members and lots of other interesting people! Please let us know if you spot anything we can improve or add.
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.
