1. News -

    We are working in collaboration with The Royal Association for Deaf People to organise an inclusive event with BSL interpreters as part of their Building Better Opportunities (BBO) project.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Report -

    The most common themes we hear about are GP services, Mental Health Services, Social Care, and Hospitals and to ensure that we
    address your concerns and compliments we share your stories with relevant people and incorporate your priorities into our work programme.
  5. 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’.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. News -

    We are excited to announce that we are finalists for the Digital Transformation Award at the Staffordshire Chambers Business Awards 2022!
  10. News -

    We have been recognised for our swift adaptation in utilising digital platforms to continue providing our services, and were announced winners of the Digital Transformation Award!
  11. Advice and Information -

    By seeking help from your GP and getting an early diagnosis can get the right support in place to live well with dementia.
  12. Advice and Information -

    Strut Safe is a free phone service in the UK to help people who need to feel safe and supported when walking home late at night.
  13. News -

    Our call for NHS dental reforms has once again been featured in the media.
  14. 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.
  15. Report -

    We organised an announced virtual visit to Dresden House between 18 October and 5 November 2021. Read all about our visit in this short summary report which details a background, the methodology utilised, an outline of the findings and a selection of experiences from participants.
  16. 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.
  17. Report -

    Access to the ward is via a pleasantly decorated wide corridor with a great deal of natural light. Access to the ward can only be gained by buzzing in and waiting for a member of staff to let visitors in.
  18. 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.
  19. 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.
  20. Report -

    Healthwatch Stoke-on-Trent were informed verbally, of a younger patient who was not registered with the Practice being refused an appointment and being told to go to Haywood Hospital instead. This may not actually have been the case, but our visit was to ask about the incident and check procedures at the Practice and see how it operated generally.
  21. 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.
  22. Report -

    Healthwatch Stoke-on-Trent received verbal information regarding a dangerous (life threatening) prescription being issued by Hanley Health Centre which had previously been visited by our Enter and View team. We had been told that the mistake had been spotted by the pharmacy team at Lloyds Pharmacy and the person who supplied the evidence was ‘full of praise’ for the staff here.
  23. Report -

    Healthwatch Stoke-on-Trent had been informed by a patient of the Practice that they had inadvertently been prescribed incorrect medication during one of her appointments which luckily was spotted by her normal pharmacist. This particular medication could have caused harm to the patient.
  24. Report -

    Healthwatch Stoke-on-Trent received verbal evidence from a recently admitted patient alleging that the Unit was ‘dirty and unhygienic’.
  25. Report -

    It follows the inspection by the CQC in August 2018 concluded that overall the Home Requires Improvement.
  26. Report -

    The service is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to 74 adults (please note that the website shows anomalies – it refers to the home being 76 bedded). People who use the service require nursing or personal care and/or may have Dementia. The home also provides care for those who need treatment for the disease, disorder, or injury.
  27. Report -

    It follows the inspection by the CQC in November 2017 which concluded that overall the Home Requires Improvement.
  28. Report -

    This visit was arranged as a follow-up to a CQC inspection in July 2018. The findings at that inspection were “Requires Improvement” in four of the five areas (Safe, Caring, Responsive, and Well-led). It was deemed “Good” in the area of ‘Effective’.
  29. Report -

    Healthwatch Stoke-on-Trent had been informed, via the CQC inspection published in December 2018, that Trentham Mews surgery had been told that two areas of their work ‘required improvement’. These were: ‘Are services safe’ and ‘Are services well-led’.
  30. Report -

    Healthwatch Stoke on Trent received information from a family member regarding problems with the care of a family member who had been moved to Bradwell Hall. We also noted that the CQC inspection of August 2018 concluded that overall ‘the Home Requires Improvement.
  31. 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.
  32. News -

    The Met Office have issued a RED weather warning over the next couple of days. According to NHS England, there are on average 2,000 heat-related deaths every year. A heatwave poses health risks such as dehydration, overheating, heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
  33. 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.
  34. Report -

    Healthwatch Stoke-on-Trent organised an announced virtual visit to Dresden House between 18 October and 5 November 2021. The rationale for the virtual visit was to capture the experiences and opinions of the manager, service users and staff and relatives within the care home to discover what works well, not so well and what could be improved to enhance the quality of service delivery.
  35. 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, professionals and relatives.
  36. 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.
  37. 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.
  38. Report -

    The HWE project was a follow up project after an online survey was undertaken about access to primary care at the start of the pandemic. The initial survey found that people were generally happy accessing their GP remotely, but as a survey that was online it potentially did not reach people who were actually digitally excluded and struggling to access primary care.
  39. Report -

    Since the occurrence of the coronavirus pandemic, GP services have been required to adapt and alter the way that services are delivered. As such, appointment methods, bookings and direct communication between practice and patient have been at the heart of crucial service changes.
  40. 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.
  41. Report -

    Following the global coronavirus outbreak in early 2020 there have been significant measures to obstruct and limit the infection of coronavirus, including a national lockdown and many forms of social distancing for a number of months. Consequently, the required measures have had a considerable impact on individual lifestyles through physical health wellbeing, psychosocial health and financial challenges.
  42. Report -

    We started to receive a high volume of feedback about blood tests from 6 July 2020. It was evident that people were experiencing difficulties in accessing blood tests and therefore we organised a call-out for feedback about the publics experience of blood tests during the coronavirus pandemic. This was promoted on our social media platforms from 21 July 2020 to 10 August 2020.
  43. Report -

    A qualitative research design was formed to collect public feedback items. From 28 July 2020 to 14 August 2020 social media platforms and our website was utilised for a callout to residents of Stoke-on-Trent, for dental services experiences during the coronavirus pandemic
  44. 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.
  45. 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.
  46. Report -

    Enc-02-Public-Advisory-Board-Action-Record-2021-2022-20-07-01
  47. Report -

    HW Advisory Public Board meetings include an opportunity for members of the public to feedback issues about local
    Health and Social Care issues at the end of the meeting.
  48. Report -

    Minutes and Action log from Public Board Meeting held on 20 April 2021 MD and SF agreed last minutes were a correct record.
  49. Report -

    Public Advisory Board Action Record 2021 – 2022 Enc 02 Public HAB 20 April 2021