top of page
News & reports
News
Report published: Evaluation of the Community Wellness Outreach programme
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
Healthwatch Reading
Apr 1
Pharmacy opening times during Easter Bank Holiday
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
Healthwatch Reading
Mar 31
National report: The future of patient voice – learning from the Healthwatch model
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
Healthwatch Reading
Mar 18
Reports
Report published: Evaluation of the Community Wellness Outreach programme
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
Healthwatch Reading
Apr 1
Making an impact: Tackling NHS overseas billing errors in Reading
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
Healthwatch Reading
Jan 14
We discovered, we did: language matters
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
Healthwatch Reading
Sep 25, 2025
bottom of page