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Blog -
This month, we’re encouraging everyone to know the signs and symptoms of dementia so they can get the right diagnosis and support as quickly as possible. -
Report -
Find out the difference we've made to health and social care services this year. -
Report -
How have we improved care during the coronavirus pandemic? Read our annual report to find out more. -
Report -
Find out what we've achieved over the past year. -
Report -
In the city we have 53 GP Surgeries, 122 Care homes (nursing and residential) 70 Pharmacies, 37 Dental Practices, 30 Opticians. -
Report -
As statutory watchdog, our role is to ensure that local health and social care services and the local decision-makers, put the experiences of people at the heart of their care. -
Report -
This year it came to our attention that homeless individuals in our City were finding it difficult to access GP services and receive the treatment that they required. -
Report -
You need services that work for you, your family and your friends. That is why we want you to share your experiences of using health and care with us – both good and bad. We use your voice to encourage those who run services to act on what matters to you.
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Report -
Purpose of the visit: the inspection by the CQC last year concluded that overall,
the Home required Improvement and we wanted to assess the current situation
and see how things had improved. -
News -
The Digital Transformation award recognises companies at the cutting edge of digital design and technologies who are boosting Staffordshire’s growing reputation as a digital hub. The Staffordshire Chambers Business Awards judges were keen to hear compelling examples of how digital technology has been used to transform business processes, customer experience or to create exciting, effective campaigns. -
Report -
The report features our recommendations and acknowledgments, a background, the methodology utilised, an overview of findings, and a selection of experiences from responders who have an understanding of the Royal Stoke University Hospital Fracture Clinic. -
Report -
The report details our recommendations and acknowledgements, a background, the methodology utilised, an overview of findings and a selection of experiences from management, staff, service users, and relatives. -
News -
If you have concerns or ideas on how to improve the community's health and wellbeing, join one of ECS's upcoming Stoke Citizens Inquiry Community Events. -
Advice and Information -
The continuing cost of living crisis is adversely affecting people's physical and mental wellbeing, with vulnerable people and those on lower incomes hit the hardest. -
News -
Each year, your local Healthwatch puts together a work programme that reflects the health and social care needs of the area. -
Report -
We spoke to 197 people in Stoke-on-Trent who are living with a long-term condition(s) to find out more about their experiences. -
Report -
This report provides an analysis of Parkinson’s Provision in and around Stoke-
on-Trent from a service user perspective. -
Report -
We spoke to 39 people in Stoke-on-Trent who are either living with Parkinson's disease or are a carer for someone who is. We found out about their experiences of receiving support, care and treatment. -
News -
Healthwatch Stoke-on-Trent is the city’s independent health and social care champion. We are here to listen to the experiences of local people using local health and care services and about the issues that matter to the people of Stoke-on-Trent. -
Blog -
Access to care is the main concern people have shared with us in the past year. Our new report looking at health and social care from the patients' perspective has warned that we risk "a two-tier health and care system" unless the NHS takes faster action to tackle access issues. -
Advice and Information -
NHS social prescribing link workers can connect you to the right community groups and services to help support you. -
Advice and Information -
Do you or a loved one need help with social care? Read the article below to find out answers to key questions about who can access adult social care and how to pay for it. -
News -
We explore the three main challenges people face accessing health and care services when they live alone with limited or no support. -
News -
Getting good social care can make a big difference in someone's life. But are people always receiving the help they need? Find out what people have told us and how we think social care support could be improved. -
Blog -
Social care reform is desperately needed to ensure the public can get the help they're entitled to, and that teams have the support they need to deliver this care. -
Advice and Information -
Waiting for planned medical care or surgery can be a frustrating time. That’s why it’s so important that while you wait, you get regular, clear and accessible updates so that you can plan your next steps. -
Report -
Find out to what extent canceled or postponed hospital appointments had on patients during the Coronavirus Pandemic. -
Report -
Find out people's experiences of local imaging services in Stoke-on-Trent. -
Report -
Healthwatch Stoke-on-Trent had undertaken an Enter and View visit in December 2019 to Wards 205 and 206 of the Maternity Unit and it was noted that some negative comments had been received regarding the MAU. The published report stated that Healthwatch Stoke-on-Trent would visit the MAU at some point within ‘the next three months’. -
Report -
Purpose of the visit: The Crisis Care Centre is intended to provide a new, ‘joined up’ service to patients suffering from crisis and has only been operational since October 2019. It was our intention to walk through the Centre and see how the services provided are now offered. -
Report -
Purpose of the visit: part of the program of an ongoing program of visits to health and care facilities across the city and also to allow our visit team to see what changes and progress have been made since our last visit. -
Report -
Due to the outbreak of the Coronavirus Pandemic and the former suspension of the Enter and View Programme, Healthwatch Stoke-on-Trent took the opportunity to pilot a series of virtual visits to ensure that public conversations, experiences and concerns can continually be shared with their local Healthwatch. -
Report -
The ward is a locked ward and entry is via an electronic secure admittance system. Similar to other parts of the hospital, this is primarily for the safety of patients. It has twenty-two beds which are made up of single rooms and four bedded dormitories. -
Report -
It has fifteen beds and on the day of our visit, there were 13 patients on the ward. This is a mixed-sex ward but all the rooms are single rooms with separate female and male bedroom corridors. It has small quiet rooms off the corridors for patients to access. It also has an outside garden area with tables and seating. -
Report -
Healthwatch Stoke-on-Trent had, during September 2019, received verbal concerns
from a few new mothers. We felt these comments merited a visit and so
accordingly these two wards within the Maternity Unit were added to our Enter
and View schedule. -
Report -
Healthwatch Stoke-on-Trent had received verbal evidence from a recently admitted patient alleging that parts of the ward were ‘dirty’, and that the food was of ‘poor quality. -
Report -
Healthwatch Stoke-on-Trent received verbal evidence from a recently admitted patient alleging that the Unit was ‘dirty and unhygienic’. -
Report -
The Hospital Services Survey part 1 consisted of 10 core questions. There was a mixture between multiple choice questions and open text for subjective comments and opinions. The structure of the survey is mirrored within the report discussion through a breakdown of headlines that each relate to the respective survey questions. -
Report -
A proportion of patients remain digitally excluded and are unable to engage or communicate with a member of staff via the telephone booking system, due to limited digital knowledge and internet access. Therefore, consider how digital exclusion and inaccessibility of telephone communications can be addressed to provide systematic inclusion. -
Report -
With growing pressure on the NHS such as an ageing population, more people living with longterm conditions and lifestyle choices affecting people’s health, changes are needed to make sure everybody gets the support they need. The NHS has produced a Long-Term Plan1, setting
out the measures it intends to take to address changing need. -
Report -
Community assets that alleviate loneliness or promote communities should be considered, monitored and recognised as integral to the overall approach. This includes engaging the third sector in a meaningful way and accepting that financial investment is needed in the third sector if a gap cannot be met by health and care services. -
News -
Pregnancy is a major life event for any family. It can be joyful and fulfilling but also challenging. We’re launching a national survey to understand if care works for new mothers and birthing parents. Share your story. -
News -
Locally and nationally, there are stories of people experiencing delays in the ambulances reaching them and then of delays when reaching hospital of being handed over to Accident and Emergency Department, sometimes with tragic outcomes. -
News -
The number of people avoiding an NHS appointment because they can’t afford travel almost doubled between October and December as the cost of living crisis is forcing many to change how they use health and care services.
Over a third (39%) of people say the changes they have made to their lives due to the cost of living crisis have affected their mental health.
• Women are disproportionately affected by spiralling costs, with 35% saying their mental health has got worse over the last two months, compared to 26% of men. -
Advice and Information -
With NHS staff holding industrial action this winter, this article aims to help answer common questions and find out from NHS providers any likely impact in the area. -
Blog -
According to The Encephalitis Society, 77% of people do not know what encephalitis is. We want to help improve the encephalitis awareness through sharing information from The Encephalitis Society and the NHS. -
News -
The Care Quality Commission (CQC), has published a report following an inspection of services run by West Midlands Ambulance Service University NHS Foundation Trust (WMAS) in November. -
News -
When asked if they had a good understanding of gynaecological issues before it happened to them or a friend or family member:
• Only 5% said they had a good understanding of gynaecological cancers
• Only 7% said they had a good understanding of gynaecological symptoms
• 5% said they had a good understanding of HPV (human papilloma virus)
• 15% said they had a good understanding of cervical screening -
Blog -
This case study covers a local residents experience of being a patient at A&E, from first point of call and throughout their 21 hours of waiting. -
News -
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has told University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust it must make improvements in maternity services at the Royal Stoke University Hospital, after an inspection in March sees its overall rating move from good to requires improvement.