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We are pleased to share our summary report and infographic series from our NHS App project, in partnership with Healthwatch Wokingham Borough. Throughout the project, we listened to people across the borough and Reading about their experiences of using the NHS App. Through our joint survey, community conversations and engagement activities, we gathered a significant amount of feedback and insights from local people. Our summary report brings this together into four key he

Alongside completing our NHS App survey, residents shared their experiences of using the NHS App and accessing healthcare through other digital services during community conversations and engagement activities across the borough and Reading. A key theme that emerged from this feedback is a need for a simpler and more joined-up digital healthcare experience. While many residents valued the convenience of managing appointments, prescriptions and health records online, others de

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

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

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

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

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

Most NHS care is free at the point of use, however, in some situations, people may be asked to pay for certain types of treatment. This is known as NHS overseas billing. The rules can be complicated, so any charges must be handled carefully and clearly explained. When there are billing errors, it can be confusing, distressing and upsetting for patients and their families. People across Reading told us about being wrongly billed for NHS care at the Royal Berkshire Hospital (RB

When people can’t understand or be understood by health and social care professionals, their safety and well-being are put at risk. Back in 2022, the Lost for Words report (in collaboration with different Healthwatch, and the previous Healthwatch Reading team) highlighted how language barriers were affecting people in local health and social care services. We have revisited this report, and what we found is deeply concerning; many of the same issues continue, with very litt

Unlocking the power of people-driven care. Listening to your experiences and views to help improve local services was our priority this...

Written by the Healthwatch team This report highlights the experiences and feedback of young women (aged 16-24) across Reading and Wokingham Borough regarding sexual health education and local sexual health services. Our Healthwatch Youth team engaged with young women in various settings, such as colleges, universities, and community centres. 165 young women participated in our online survey—135 completed the survey fully, whilst 30 partially completed responses were excluded

At the end of last year, three Healthwatch teams— Reading, Wokingham Borough and West Berkshire—came together after hearing widespread...

25 families from a diverse range of backgrounds, with a combined total of 45 children, under the age of 10 years old, living in 3 of the...

Read some of the ways we've worked together with residents, local communities and organisations to help deliver change in Reading over...

In February this year, we asked you to tell us what your top health priorities are, and what projects and themes you would like us to...

Jigsaw Creative Care provides respite care services for adults with learning disabilities, as well as accommodation and personal care...

Rosebank House on Lower Henley Road, Caversham has been rated " requires improvement" in safety and effectiveness. Rosebank House...

Healthwatch Reading are pleased to share our plans for what we will be working on over the coming months. Our major project will be...

Healthwatch England (HWE) conducted a review of feedback received about maternity services in 2021/2022. They found that maternity care,...