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. Loneliness 1 in 3 carers suffer

    News -

    Carers are facing a loneliness “epidemic” according to new research revealed during Carers’ Week 2019 running until June 16.

  24. The state of caring survey 2019

    News -

    Last year over 7,000 carers shared their experience of caring.

  25. 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.

  26. Report investigating support for carers - June 2017

    Report -

    Carers UK estimate that nationally 6.8 million people provide unpaid care for a disabled, seriously-ill or older person in the UK.

  27. Carers in crisis are struggling to find help

    News -

    Healthwatch have found that Carers in crisis are struggling to find any help.

  28. Call for Foster Carers

    News -

    There is a call for temporary foster carers across North Somerset during the Coronavirus pandemic

  29. Advice available for unpaid carers

    News -

    The community bus, MAVIS, will be in Weston town centre on Friday (24 November) promoting the help available for unpaid carers in North Somerset.

  30. Rally Round

    News -

    Unpaid carers in North Somerset can now access a FREE online service which makes it really easy for friends and family to form a virtual support circle and work together to help a loved one.

  31. Joint work to support carers

    News -

    Joint work by North Somerset Council and Clinical Comissioning Group to support carers

  32. Supporting carers to stay employed

    News -

    North Somerset is one of nine areas in England to have secured funding for a two-year pilot project to help carers balance their caring role with paid employment.

  33. Are you an unpaid carer? Register with a GP so you don't miss your COVID-19 vaccine

    Advice and Information -

    It's always important to be registered with a GP - but it's particularly important if you're caring for someone vulnerable. If you're not registered, you may not get your COVID-19 vaccination at the right time.

  34. Carers' forum - we care about how your needs are met in the future

    News -

    Are you an unpaid parent carer in North Somerset? Take part in our Forum on Thursday (February 25th) morning or next Thursday (March 4th) evening over Zoom. We need your views so we know about the support and help you might need in the future.

  35. Winterbourne View 10 years on: Supporting those with learning disabilities to stay safe and well

    News -

    People with learning disabilities are still at risk of dying unnecessarily and receive poorer care – 10 years on from the abuse suffered at Winterbourne View.

  36. Struggling to access digital services? Take a look at three new booklets, created to help people use the internet

    News -

    Alive, a charity dedicated to improving the quality of life of older people and their carers, have published three booklets with the help of Healthwatch North Somerset to help those who struggle with technology access online services.

  37. How to help someone get the most out of their learning disability Annual Health Check

    Advice and Information -

    People with a learning disability may find it hard to know when they are unwell, or to tell someone about it. We've put together a checklist to help people with a learning disability and their carers make the most of their annual health check.

  38. People with learning disabilities and their carers are entitled to a free flu vaccination

    Advice and Information -

    Preventing flu can be particularly important for people with a learning disability. Flu can lead to pneumonia and sepsis, which many people with a learning disability are much more vulnerable to than the general population.

  39. Report: listening and learning from unpaid carers

    Report -

    Unpaid carers told us about the support and services they would like to see included in North Somerset Council's Carers Strategy 2021 - 2024. This report was co-produced with North Somerset Parent Carers Working Together and the Alzheimer's Society.

  40. 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.

  41. Report: unheard carers from minority groups in North Somerset

    Report -

    People from diverse, often-unheard cultural backgrounds told us about their experiences of looking after a loved one. None considered themselves to be carers, and therefore were not receiving any support from local health and social care services.

  42. Support for unpaid carers in North Somerset

    Advice and Information -

    Caring can be rewarding, but many carers need help at some point. Alliance Homes offers a range of support for carers in North Somerset, including groups and opportunities to meet other carers, and help with financial support and
    benefits.

  43. 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.

  44. Report: time to think differently about adult social care

    Report -

    What matters to you if and when you need help from social care services? Local people who don't currently receive any support told us about what's important to them, both now and when they need assistance in the future.