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Using the NHS App isn’t always straightforward. We wanted to hear from local people about their experiences of getting help with the App; who they turn to and what they need help with. During our NHS App project people Reading and Wokingham Borough told us about the different ways they get support, from family and friends, community groups to their GP surgery. But we also found that formal support, such as commissioned digital café sessions were rarely used because people di

The Big Conversation is your chance to share your views on the future of adult social care. Adult social care supports adults with care and support needs. This includes old people, disabled people and people with long term health conditions. Most of us will need care at some point in our lives or have a loved one who will. We pay for social care through our taxes. So care matters to all of us. The Big Conversation, led by Baroness Louise Casey, is part of the work being un

Following our first infographic exploring residents’ experiences of the NHS App, we’re sharing the next set of findings from our survey results and conversations with local communities. Our findings show that nearly 1 in 2 people surveyed across Reading do not currently use the NHS App. When responses from Reading and Wokingham Borough are combined, this figure is 1 in 3 people. People told us there are several reasons for this, including preferring traditional ways to access

Have you experienced racism, discrimination, prejudice, or unequal treatment in health and social care settings? This could include treatment because of your race, ethnicity, religion, nationality, culture, disability, age, gender, sexuality or any other aspect of who you are. If so, we want to hear from you. Click here to share your experience anonymously. Health and social care services experience Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity, respect and fairness when acces

A huge thank you to everyone who supported our NHS App project, completed our survey, left comments on our social media channels or spoke to our engagement officers at local community events – your voice matters and helps improve services and care. Between October 2025 and January 2026, we heard from 483 residents across Reading. In total, we received 1,436 responses, including 953 responses from Wokingham Borough. Over the coming weeks, we’ll be running a campaign to share

Last updated August 2026 Welcome to our NHS App information page. This is your one-stop page for support and guidance for using the app. Whether you're just getting started or want to learn more, we’ve got you covered. If you can’t use the NHS App on your mobile phone, you can still access the same services and information through the NHS website. You can log in online using a laptop, computer, tablet or phone with internet access: https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-app/ You can also co

Healthwatch Reading is inviting local people to share their experiences of leaving hospital as part of a new survey to improve hospital discharge experiences across the country. Being discharged means leaving the hospital ward where you were being treated. This may include returning home, moving to a care home, to a community hospital bed, or somewhere else to continue your recovery. If patients are discharged too early without proper support, they may need to be readmitted t

Reading Borough Council (RBC) wants to hear your views on the draft Adult Social Care Strategy 2026 - 2031. Why should you respond? Your views will help RBC understand if the proposed priorities reflect what matters most to you and if there are any areas they should improve upon before the strategy is finalised. How to respond? Please click here to complete the online survey. The link will open in a new tab. Note, the survey closes on 31st August 2026. More information about

Last year, Healthwatch Reading brought local people together for our Dying Well community conversation. Residents, carers and professionals shared their experiences of end-of-life care, highlighting the need for earlier conversations, better information, clearer signposting and greater awareness of support available. These findings closely mirror the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman's recent report, Conversations that Matter Most, which found that people and familie

Listening to your experiences and amplifying your voices to help shape local healthcare services. Each voice matters. Behind every experience is an opportunity to improve care not only for individuals, but also for communities across Reading. Thank you for sharing your experiences and views with us. We have shared them with key decision-makers g to ensure local services reflect lived experiences and local voices. "More recently, our role has matured further—from listening an

Our evaluation report, which features recommendations on Reading’s Community Wellness Outreach Programme, is now live. What is the Community Wellness Outreach programme? In 2022/23, only 6%* of eligible local people (aged 40–74 who hadn’t had a check in the previous five years) accessed a free NHS Health Check at their GP surgeries. It was also clear that some people from different communities across Reading were not attending their GP at all. To address this, the Community W

Opening hours for local pharmacies are listed below. The details are correct at the time of publishing but are subject to change. Please contact the pharmacy before travelling to ensure they are open and have the medication you need. Pharmacy Many local pharmacies will be closed or operating reduced hours throughout the Easter holidays. However, there are still some pharmacies in Reading and beyond you can visit if you want to speak to a pharmacist about any health concerns

In June 2025, the government announced plans to close Healthwatch England and local Healthwatch organisations, with responsibilities expected to transfer through legislation to other parts of the system (subject to confirmation). Following this announcement, The King’s Fund has published a report The Future of Patient Voice: Learning from the Healthwatch Model (commissioned in part by Healthwatch England but developed independently by The King’s Fund). The report looks at th

Kent, England has recently experienced a meningitis outbreak, with two young people tragically losing their lives and 13 others falling ill in just three days. Most of those affected are sixth-form and university students. Meningitis outbreaks like this are rare, but the infection can develop very quickly and become serious. Shared spaces such as schools, colleges, and universities make it easier for the bacteria or viruses that cause meningitis to spread. Certain types of ba

We’re delighted to share this update from Alliance and Cohesion for Racial Equality ( ACRE ) to help encourage our Reading communities, networks and residents to access these valuable vaccine videos. Please share this article and videos so we can all help more people understand their vaccine options and support healthier communities. "Alliance and Cohesion for Racial Equality (ACRE) has launched a new series of multilingual vaccine information videos designed to help more peo

It's so important that you feel supported as a new parent. Read the article below to find out where you can go to get the help you need. Your mental health is important, both for your wellbeing and your child’s. It’s important that you feel supported throughout your journey of becoming a parent and have a safe space to talk about how you are feeling. Take a look at the information below to find out where you can go to get the support you and your family need. Are mental heal

From the end of March, people will start to notice some changes to the NHS App. According to NHS Digital, the app will begin to look different as updates are rolled out over the coming weeks. For some people, the update will happen automatically, and others may see a message asking them to update the NHS app. What is changing? A new “App help” button at the top of each screen will take users directly to support information. Users will be able to view and manage their personal

On 26 February 2026, the Independent National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation published an interim report showing the urgent need to improve care for mothers and babies in England. Background The investigation was launched in June 2025 by Health Secretary Wes Streeting to review NHS maternity services across England. Led by Baroness Valerie Amos, the aim is to uncover the “systemic causes of unacceptable care affecting women, babies, and families.” It includes local revi

What is the six-week postnatal check up for new mothers and why it’s important that you attend it? In this advice piece, we cover all the basic questions you may have about it. In 2020, NHS England launched a 6-week mental health check for new mothers to ensure they feel well and have the support they need if they are struggling with their mental health. What is the six-week postnatal check? GPs must offer a six-week postnatal check to all new mothers and birthing p

Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust has launched its refreshed strategy to improve patient care for 2025-2030. The strategy focuses on the Trust embracing the NHS’s 10-Year Health Plan to lead transformation at the Trust. The Trust says that through artificial intelligence and data, genomics, robotics and advanced diagnostics, it will harness the power of technology to personalise care, improve patient outcomes and increase productivity. The refreshed strategy focuses on: De