1. Where can I go for support for my mental health as a parent?

    Advice and Information -

    We've pulled together a number of services for parents in need of support for their mental health. Read more to find out where you can go to get the help you need.

  2. Smoking during pregnancy - Action plan

    News -

    Our smoking in pregnancy action plan ‘accelerates’ the move to appoint new stop-smoking advisor

  3. Report on Maternity services in North Somerset

    Report -

    Healthwatch North Somerset collects information from the public about their experiences of local health and social care services. This information is shared with service providers, local commissioners and all other relevant bodies.

  4. The Care Forum - Action plan to reduce smoking in pregnancy

    Report -

    The Care Forum was commissioned to deliver an engagement project by the BNSSG Clinical Commissioning Group. The brief was to recruit and engage with women who did not stop smoking during pregnancy, in order to discuss why this was

  5. Health problems more common in babies with older fathers

    News -

    A study of more than 40 million births in the US found babies born to men aged 45 or older were more likely to be born prematurely, have a low birth weight and need intensive care after birth than babies with younger fathers.

  6. Study shows a gap between pregnancies is beneficial

    News -

    The NHS say that women should leave at least year between pregnancies

  7. Having a baby and the effect on your mental health

    News -

    We want to hear about your experiences - whether having a baby had any effect on your mental health.

  8. Temporary closure of Cossham Birth Cenre

    News -

    Cossham Birth Centre temporary closure – letter from North Bristol Trust

  9. Discussion event on preventing cerebral palsy

    News -

    The Academic Health Science Network invite you to the following event: Wednesday 9th May 2018 from 11am - 2pm.

  10. 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.

  11. "This is another scandal where it’s clear that lessons from past tragedies haven’t been learnt" - Healthwatch England's response to the Ockenden review

    News -

    Healthwatch England has responded to the Independent Review of Maternity Services at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, led by Donna Ockenden. The review examined almost 1,600 clinical incidents and found repeated failures in care.

  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. Share your experience: maternal mental health

    News -

    Have you given birth since April 2020? Did you experience any mental health issues or emotional challenges such as low mood before getting pregnant? We'd like to hear your story and find out if you got the support you needed from the NHS.

  14. Six-week postnatal checks are failing many new mothers, Healthwatch England warns

    News -

    Many women are struggling to access the support they need for their mental health during and after pregnancy. Only 1 in 5 were satisfied with the time their GP spent talking to them about their mental health at their six-week postnatal check.

  15. Continuity of care is crucial to addressing perinatal mental health

    News -

    Research shows that continuity of care - receiving care from the same midwife or team of midwives - is best practice in maternity care. But we spoke to new mothers whose experiences show that services don’t always implement it.

  16. Stories from new mothers: accessing maternal mental health services

    Blog -

    Mental health issues are widespread and of significant concern to new parents, but many face substantial difficulties accessing mental health services. Mothers from across the local area told us about their experiences.

  17. 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.

  18. Stories from new mothers: the importance of good communication

    Blog -

    The commitment to personalised care has been a cornerstone of NHS policy on maternity care for many years. A crucial part of personalised care is good communication, listening and agreeing on actions together.

  19. Our statement following the conviction of Lucy Letby

    News -

    Lucy Letby was found guilty on the 21st August 2023 of murdering seven babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital between 2015 and 2016, while working as a nurse. She was also convicted of trying to kill six other infants.

  20. CQC again rates maternity services at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust as good

    News -

    The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has published a report following an inspection of the maternity services at both Weston General Hospital and UHBW Bristol Main Site (St Michael’s Hospital), both run by University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, in December.

  21. Report: Investigating local health inequalities using the Core20PLUS5 approach

    Report -

    102 people in Knowle West, Hartcliffe and Weston-super-Mare spoke to us about their experiences of health and social care. They shared the barriers and failures that prevented them from accessing local services, and what improvements are needed.

  22. Seven pieces of information that you should expect to receive after being diagnosed with dementia

    Advice and Information -

    Take a look at the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence's (NICE) quick guide to discussing and planning support following a dementia diagnosis.

  23. Dementia Challenge Conference

    Report -

    Healthwatch North Somerset assisted in leading a workshop at the Dementia Challenge Conference at the Winter Gardens on 3rd November 2014 entitled Valuing Your Voice – Improving Local Services.

  24. Keeping the heart healthy also reduces the risk of dementia

    News -

    Study confirms that keeping the heart healthy also reduces dementia risk

  25. Dementia services - feedback shaping change

    News -

    ases of dementia are on the rise. Around 700,000 people in England have the disease currently, and this figure is expected to increase to over a million by 2025. In North Somerset, it is estimated that 1.79% of people are living with dementia.

  26. Dementia standards

    News -

    The Government has implemented a new atlas looking at Dementia Care across the country.

  27. Enhanced Dementia care

    News -

    Enhanced dementia care service rolled out by North Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG)

  28. Portishead Dementia Friendly Communities are running a series of events for Dementia Action Week

    News -

    This Dementia Action Week 2021 (17 – 23 May), Portishead Dementia Friendly Communities are running a range of sessions for anyone who is interested in finding out more about dementia and the help available.

  29. Supporting people living with dementia in North Somerset

    Advice and Information -

    A new directory of local and national resources to support people living with dementia, their carers, and their support networks has been put together by a team of experts. It covers often overlooked issues, such as emotional and wellbeing support.

  30. Louise Ansari, National Director of Healthwatch England, visits Healthwatch North Somerset

    News -

    We had the opportunity to share our work and future plans with Louise, members of the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board (ICB), and Councillor Helen Holland - Co-Chair of the local Health and Wellbeing Board.

  31. Free wellbeing workshops for Portishead residents

    Advice and Information -

    Over the next 18 months, Portishead residents will be able to attend a series of workshops to support their wellbeing needs.