News and reports

A new 24/7 phoneline to help people cope with the pressures of Covid-19 and beyond has been launched for people in the Bristol, North Somerset and South Glos region.

Communication needs to improve for patients as Lee, of Portishead, was kept waiting for months with a painful hernia. He had no idea if he was on a waiting list for an operation after #Covid-19 struck.

A new NHS centre to investigate the effects of race and ethnicity on people’s health has got the go ahead after Covid 19 helped to focus minds on the continuing problem of racism in medicine.

Older and more vulnerable people have told Healthwatch how they coped with coronavirus with many admitting their mental health had suffered and they often felt lonely.

First Do No Harm is a report published last week of the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review. Read more to learn more about the report, why it was commissioned and its findings.

We visited Horizon Health Centre, Weston, earlier this year to observe the practice on a working day and gather feedback from patients. We heard about difficulties getting appointments and have made recommendations to help patients.

We visited Graham Road surgery, Weston, earlier this year to observe the practice in action and talk to patients about their experiences of seeing a GP and further care or treatment. Read what we found and our recommendations for improvements.

Read our latest Annual Report for 2019/2020 - we expanded our geographical area and our staff team to make a difference to local health and care services. We take you through our highlights and achievements.

The new crisis centre planned for Weston-super-Mare has taken a step forward with a provider now being sought for the scheme.

Large scale research and data collection is needed to tackle “humbling inequalities" in Covid-19 death rates, according to the new Public Health England report. We want our feedback to build an understanding of health experiences of BAME groups.

Weston Hospital has now fully reopened and patients who have an appointment scheduled from today onwards should just attend at their allocated time. The A&E service is also now operational again from 8am to 10pm.

There have been no new Covid-19 cases identified at Weston Hospital after inpatients were re-tested this week. Work is ongoing so it can reopen “as soon as possible,” according to the hospital's CEO.