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News & reports
News
Healthwatch is here to stay!
We are thrilled to welcome the Government's announcement that Healthwatch England and local Healthwatch will not be abolished, as previously proposed eighteen months ago. This means Healthwatch Reading, alongside all 153 local Healthwatch organisations and our national body, Healthwatch England, will continue to be your champion for health and care, ensuring your voices, opinions and experiences help make systems and services work better for people and communities. Looking ah
Healthwatch Reading
5 days ago
Healthwatch Reading receives funding for Men as Carers project
Caring for a partner, parent, relative or friend can bring unique challenges. However, many men do not identify themselves as carers, which can make it harder for them to access the support, advice and information available to them. We are delighted to announce that we've been awarded funding through the Better Care Fund from Reading Council for our Men as Carers project. One of just 10 projects selected for funding, our project aims to better understand the experiences of ma
Healthwatch Reading
6 days ago
Have you heard of Operation Cavell?
At our recent Racism in Care Forum, we heard about Operation Cavell, a national initiative that brings together NHS organisations and police forces to improve responses to violence, aggression, abuse and discrimination directed towards healthcare staff. Guest speaker Alison Drew, Associate Chief Nurse for Patient Experience, Workforce and Education, Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, highlighted that everyone has the right to feel safe when accessing or delivering care. Wh
Healthwatch Reading
Oct 20
Reports
Summary report and infographics series published
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
Healthwatch Reading
Sep 30
"One app to rule them all, please!"
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
Healthwatch Reading
Sep 24
People rely on family and friends, while formal NHS App support goes unused
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
Healthwatch Reading
Sep 18
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