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. Dental Services - Report

    Report -

    One of the key issues that people in North Somerset discuss with Healthwatch North Somerset is difficulties experienced accessing NHS dental services, in particular in areas outside of Weston-super-Mare.

  3. Dentistry during Covid-19

    Report -

    Healthwatch Bristol, Healthwatch North Somerset and Healthwatch South Gloucestershire have been gathering feedback about dental practice and treatment throughout the Coronavirus pandemic.

  4. Zoom in for our next Prioritisation Panel meeting on February 23

    News -

    At our Prioritisation Panel you can hear first hand how Healthwatch uses your feedback to understand the city's key health issues and works to bring about resolutions to help everyone have better health and care.

  5. Advice for NHS Dental Contractors: updating your NHS website profile

    Advice and Information -

    Many dental practices are not updating their information on the NHS website. The Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England, and Healthwatch are urging dental contractors to review their profiles, to help patients find dental care more easily.

  6. South West to receive almost £5 million to provide additional dental appointments

    News -

    £50 million will be made available to the NHS in England to allow people suffering from oral pain, disease, and infection to get the care they need. £4,726,000 has been allocated to the South West.

  7. Annual Report 2021/2022

    Report -

    Your feedback helps us influence positive change and encourages the improvement of local NHS health and social care services. Take a look at everything we've been up to throughout 2021/2022.

  8. '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.'

  9. What to do if you can't find an NHS dentist

    Advice and Information -

    NHS dental care has been massively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and it's been almost impossible to find an NHS dentist that's accepting new patients or doing emergency treatment.

  10. MPs to examine struggle to access NHS dentistry services

    Advice and Information -

    Parliament's Health and Social Care Committee has launched an inquiry into dentistry following a survey that showed 90% of practices across the UK were not accepting new adult NHS patients.

  11. 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.

  12. 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.

  13. 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.

  14. 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.

  15. 10 top tips to get the most out of your dental appointment

    Advice and Information -

    Everyone should be able to access good quality NHS dental services. Take a look at our top tips to help you get the most out of your next dental appointment.

  16. 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.

  17. 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.

  18. 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.

  19. 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

  20. 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.

  21. 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.

  22. 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.

  23. 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.

  24. 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.

  25. 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'.

  26. 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.