1. Visits to care homes in Cambridgeshire

    Report -

    The reports from 13 care homes we visited using our legal power to enter and view.

  2. First of our care home food and drink reports published

    Report -

    Our volunteers stepped up to the plate when they dined with the residents at Rheola Care Centre in St Ives on a planned visit to the home.

  3. Whittlesey care home visit report published

    Report -

    Our volunteers visited Keneydon House in Whittlesey as part of our care home food project to find our about the residents' experiences of food and drink in the home.

  4. New report published after vist to Symonds House

    Report -

    Our volunteers visited Symonds House in Cambridge as part of a project to find our about people's experiences of food and drink in care homes.

  5. Making choices about the end of life

    News -

    Most people want to die at home, but the reality is that the majority of us are spending our last days in hospital.

  6. Report from our End of Life event

    News -

    Today Healthwatch has published a new report Empowering people at the end of life.

  7. Covid-19: county council ups adult social care payments

    News -

    People receiving direct payments for adult social care are to get a 10% rise from Cambridgeshire County Council.

  8. Latest guidance on testing for coronavirus

    Advice and Information -

    Free testing for coronavirus (Covid-19) from the NHS has ended for most people in England.

  9. New vaccine hopeful but stick to lockdown rules

    News -

    Prime Minister Boris Johnson is urging people to continue with the lockdown rules and basic hygiene advice and not get distracted by news of the Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine progress.

  10. Leaving hospital during Covid-19 - our new report

    News -

    The way people are discharged from hospital across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough should work better for patients says our new report published today.

  11. Leaving hospital during Covid 19

    Report -

    Hospital discharge is a complicated process. And the way people leave hospital across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough should work better for patients says our new report out today.

  12. Why ReSPECT matters in decisions near the end of life

    News -

    The local NHS has responded to a letter from us promising improvements to end of life care for people in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

  13. Tell us your care home experiences

    News -

    The Covid-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on care home residents and on their friends and families and staff.
    Our new survey records your experiences and challenges over the last 12-18 months – and asks what life is like now.

  14. Are you able to visit loved ones in local care homes?

    News -

    Limits on visitors at care homes have been lifted in updated Government guidance. But is this making a difference for local families getting to see their loved ones?

  15. Life in a care home report

    Report -

    Our new report, Life in a care home, is published today. And tells the experiences of people living at Cambridgeshire and Peterborough care homes during the Covid-19 pandemic and their friends and families.

  16. Insights from our new care home report welcomed

    News -

    Our new Life in a care home report, published today, has been welcomed by local councils and our local NHS as "important" and providing "valuable insights".

  17. How your feedback is helping to improve end of life care

    News -

    Thanks to the feedback you shared, NHS and care services have worked hard to improve the support people and their families get near the end of life.

  18. Healthwatch Summit shines light on challenges facing Adult Social Care

    News -

    At our recent Healthwatch Summit – Adult Social Care: Meeting the challenges, we welcomed a wide range of local health professionals and service users who shared their experiences.

  19. The Integrated Care System – One year on

    News -

    In this article, we explain the role of Integrated Care Boards and Integrated Care Systems, identify their different roles, and look at how Healthwatch works with them.

  20. Support available when you have a terminal illness - planning end of life care

    Advice and Information -

    Palliative care is support for people who are in the last months or years of their life. We have pulled together some guidance to help you know what to expect, how to plan ahead and make decisions about your future care.

  21. Better care needed for local Gypsies, Romany and Travellers

    Report -

    Gypsies, Romany and Travellers make up the largest minority ethnic communities in Cambridgeshire yet are more likely to have poor health than other local people.

  22. Healthwatch calls for improvements in local wheelchair services

    Report -

    The wheelchair service is often poorly co-ordinated, with people waiting too long for wheelchairs and repairs says Sitting Comfortably, our new report published today.

  23. New Healthwatch report calls for better information for disabled people

    Report -

    Health and care services are not always offering people with sensory and learning disabilities information in a format they can understand. The law says that they must do this.

  24. Packed room for launch of new Healthwatch Accessible Information report

    News -

    A successful launch event shows there is still much to do to achieve Accessible Information as Standard

  25. Enzo speaks up about better information for people with learning disabilities

    Blog -

    Enzo Petruziello works to ensure people with disabilities can access the services they want and need. He provides disability awareness training and encourages friends with disabilities to speak up about their needs.

  26. Local people influence future of Minor Injuries Units

    News -

    Health commissioners listen to local people in plans to develop Local Urgent Care hubs in the Fens and East Cambridgeshire.

  27. Healthwatch helps to improve accessible information for disabled people

    News -

    Local NHS Trusts and care organisations are improving the information they give to disabled people.

  28. Healthwatch Board meeting in public - Wednesday 15 November 2017

    Report -

    At this meeting we will be talking about our Accessible Information as Standard report, published 8 November 2017.

  29. Healthwatch Board meeting in public - Weds 14 November 2018

    Report -

    At this meeting the Board will get an update on the progress made by local providers regarding the NHS Accessible Information Standard.

  30. Helping to tackle health inequalities

    News -

    Information from our 2016 'Our Health Matters' project to listen to the health experiences of local Gypsies, Roma and Travellers, has fed into a new House of Commons Committee report, published last week.

  31. New patient group gets policy change at hospital trust

    News -

    A new patient group - recruited with help from Healthwatch - is up and running, aiming to help shape policy and services at local hospitals.

  32. Know your NHS rights and responsibilities

    Advice and Information -

    The NHS Constitution is a useful document to know – setting out what patients, the public and the staff working for it can expect from the NHS.

  33. Will’s story

    News -

    South Cambridgeshire resident Will lost too much weight and became unwell with untreated Crohn’s disease after struggling to communicate with health professionals. Will is Deaf and uses British Sign Language.

  34. Our volunteers' programme earns UK quality award

    News -

    Healthwatch is toasting its volunteers after being awarded the Investing in Volunteers (IiV) award.

  35. Sensory Impairment Partnership Board Minutes April 2021 to March 2022

    Report -

    Read more about the issues discussed by the Sensory Impairment Partnership Board this year.

  36. Tackling disability hate crime

    Blog -

    It’s Hate Crime Awareness Week 2023. Our Partnership Development Manager Graham Lewis talks about how our Healthwatch and the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Partnership Boards are highlighting disability hate crime.

  37. Report shines light on Covid health and care struggles

    Report -

    The final report from our three-month Covid survey is published today.

  38. Remembering the HIV and AIDS crisis

    Blog -

    February is the month where the UK celebrates the history of LGBT people and their achievements.
    So, for those who don’t know me, I’m Graham, the Partnership Development Manager here at Healthwatch. I’m also Gay.

  39. Making sure you count - the national census is coming

    News -

    The census is coming. By taking part, you can help inform decisions on services that shape your community, such as healthcare, education and transport.

  40. HIV in 2021 - tackling the stigma

    Blog -

    As part of LGBTQ+ History Month, Sharron Spindler, Chief Executive of local sexual health charity Dhiverse, tells us that modern treatments make HIV a manageable long-term condition. But outdated attitudes and stigma remain a barrier to diagnosis.

  41. Health and care for the LGBTQ+ community

    Advice and Information -

    This article highlights some of the health issues – and inequalities – facing the lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer or questioning plus (LGBTQ+) community.

  42. Following my dreams - and becoming a mum

    Blog -

    In this personal blog for LGBTQ+ History Month, our Healthwatch CEO, Sandie Smith, reflects on the road to parenthood – and the joy of being a mum.

  43. Helping to tackle vaccine hesitancy

    News -

    Our Engagement Officer Rebwar has been helping to get Covid-19 vaccination, testing and self-isolation information out to communities in Peterborough and Fenland.