1. What should you expect when it comes to care for your teeth?

    Advice and Information -

    Four questions staff should ask you or a loved one about your oral health if you’re a care home resident, according to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence quick guide.

  2. Tell us about your care - CQC announces partnership with The Silver Line

    News -

    The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is today marking the launch of a new partnership with The Silver Line helpline to help reach out to even more elderly people who are cared for in their homes and in residential care.

  3. Public meeting report - Personalisation

    Report -

    Personalisation is relatively new, is not fully understood and is of interest to the public. It is a social care approach in which every person who receives support, whether provided by statutory services or self-funded, has choice and control.

  4. Care Quality Commission on Oral Health in Care Homes

    Report -

    The CQC has complied a report with the aims of looking at some of the reasons why oral health is so poor in care homes and to understand some of the genuine challenges care staff face when trying to deliver mouth care.

  5. A practical guide to healthy ageing

    News -

    The NHS have teamed up with Age UK to write this practical guide to healthy ageing. The advice in this booklet will help improve the health and general fitness of people of any age, but is written to be particularly relevant for people 70 or over

  6. What are the signs of a good care home?

    News -

    Working with older people, their families and care experts, the charity Independent Age has developed a set of quality indicators which a local Healthwatch in Camden helped test during their visits to local care homes.

  7. St Brigas Residential Home

    News -

    St Brigas Residential Home for Adults with Learning Disabilities, in Jesmond Road, was visited by the health and social care watchdog last year, with the subsequent report this week judging the service to require improvement.

  8. Manor Park Care Home

    News -

    Family-run Manor Park Care Home in Ellenborough Park North has been recognised as a ‘butterfly care home’ by the Dementia Care Matters programme.

  9. Test and Trace - how can it be improved?

    News -

    Contact tracing is working well in the South West with an 83.3 per cent success rate compared to a national average of 77 per cent.

  10. Vaccine programme musn't 'breed complacency' says Boris during his visit to Bristol

    News -

    If you’re over 80 and still haven’t had your Covid-19 vaccine the message is – you’ll be contacted very soon. By the end of this week, every neighbourhood area in BNSSG will have a GP practice vaccination centre up and running.

  11. Risk of a "tsunami of unmet need" facing the health and care system, the Care Quality Commission reports

    News -

    In their annual 'State of Care' report - the first to cover a full year of the pandemic - the independent regulator has called for increased stability and collaboration across services, plus investment in 'new ways of working'.

  12. 'The barriers to accessing timely care can put people’s lives at risk' - Healthwatch England's response to the Care Quality Commission's 'State of Care' report

    News -

    The Care Quality Commission is the independent regulator of health and social care in England. Their latest report sets out the challenges the NHS and social care sector face: 'the health and care system is gridlocked, unable to operate effectively.'

  13. How would you want to be supported by adult social care services?

    News -

    We're looking to hear from people who are not currently receiving support from adult social care services. We'd like you to tell us what you know about social care and how you would like to be supported if and when needed. Your views will help North Somerset Council plan their future services.

  14. Do you need help travelling to NHS services?

    Advice and Information -

    Find out what support is available to help you when travelling to your GP, hospital or other NHS services.

  15. Report into Electronic Prescriptions

    Report -

    This report summarises the feedback received by North Somerset residents regarding the Electronic Prescription Service EPS.

  16. Prescriptions unavailable

    News -

    Why can’t I get a prescription for an over-the-counter medicine?

  17. Lloyds pharmacies in the South West to close

    News -

    Please see the attached letter from Lloyds advising of the pharmacies that are due to close in the South West.

  18. NHS England launches first leadership training programme

    News -

    Hundreds of community pharmacists and technicians working across the NHS are being offered the opportunity to develop leadership and management skills on a training programme.

  19. Guidance on low value prescription items

    News -

    NHS England will be leading a review of low value prescription items from April 2017 and introducing new guidance for Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), with a view to substantially saving NHS expenditure in this area.

  20. Cost of wasted medications

    News -

    Healthcare leaders in the district are urging people to reduce medication waste. Repeat prescriptions which are no longer needed and people taking their medication incorrectly contribute to the hefty £1.2million annual spend on medication waste

  21. Stop medicine waste in North Somerset

    News -

    It’s predicted that wasting medicines costs £1.2 million a year in North Somerset, that’s equivalent to 75,000 GP appointments every year.

  22. Community pharmacy flu vaccines

    News -

    NHS England announced it will recommission the Community Pharmacy Seasonal Influenza Vaccination programme in 2016, after nearly a quarter of a million more people benefited from vaccinations in a community pharmacy setting during the previous year

  23. Healthwatch North Somerset pop up shop

    News -

    Our pop up shop opens on Monday 23rd February at 10am. We will be in Unit 17 Collier’s Walk, Nailsea (opposite Burchill’s fruit and shop)

  24. Open letter shows progress in reopening health services ahead of winter

    News -

    An open letter outlining plans to get services back to their pre-pandemic levels but still ensure everyone’s safety has been released.

  25. Pharmacy spotlight: Day Lewis in Nailsea

    Advice and Information -

    Pharmacies offer a wealth of health and care services and popping in for advice might prevent the need to call 111 or visit your GP

  26. Blood pressure checks for over 40s now available at community pharmacies

    Advice and Information -

    People who are eligible for the service can receive a free blood pressure check without needing to book an appointment at their pharmacy. The check takes 10-15 minutes and carried out by a pharmacist.

  27. Annual Report 2022/2023

    Report -

    Last year, 793 people shared their experiences of health and social care services with us. Our annual report sets out how your comments and concerns have had a real impact on local health and social care services.

  28. The way you make a complaint about some NHS services has changed

    Advice and Information -

    Everyone has the right to make a complaint about any aspect of NHS care, treatment, or service. How you make a complaint about primary care services changed on 1 July 2023. Primary care includes GPs, pharmacies, dentists, and opticians.

  29. A third of people in England lack confidence they can access critical NHS services

    News -

    Healthwatch England has warned that people need more confidence that the NHS can provide timely care as the winter period approaches. A third of adults in England lack confidence that they can access timely care, including GP services, mental health support and hospital care.

  30. Think Pharmacy First for common health conditions

    News -

    People can now get treatment for seven common health conditions directly from their local pharmacist, without needing a GP appointment.

  31. How will we make a difference in 2024-25?

    Report -

    Our workplan sets out the areas of health and social care we will be looking at over the coming financial year. It also outlines the research we plan to carry out in order to help improve local services.