About us
Healthwatch Cambridgeshire and Peterborough is your independent champion for health and social care services. We exist to make sure local people’s voices are heard and used to improve care across our communities.
Our role in the community
Health and social care should be easy to access, well connected, and responsive to people’s needs. However, we often hear that this is not always the case. People tell us about difficulties getting appointments, long waiting times, poor communication between services, and feeling like they are not always listened to.
We exist to make sure these experiences are not missed. By sharing what local people tell us, we help decision-makers understand the real impact of services on everyday life.
How we use your feedback
When you share your experience with us, we listen carefully and record what you tell us. We then bring this information together so we can understand the key themes and issues affecting people across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.
We share this anonymised feedback with NHS organisations, local councils, and care providers. This helps them see what people are experiencing and where improvements may be needed.
We also follow up where we can, asking services what action they are taking and encouraging them to make changes that improve care for everyone.
How we support local people
We help people share their experiences of health and social care in a way that suits them. Some people contact us directly, others take part in surveys, and many speak to us at community events.
We also provide clear, trusted information if you are unsure where to go for help. This might include explaining how services work, what your options are, or how to raise a concern. While we do not handle complaints ourselves, we can guide you through the process and point you in the right direction.
A key part of our work is making sure we hear from people whose voices are not always represented, including people who may face barriers to accessing services or sharing their views.
How we work with health and care services
We work closely with NHS organisations, local authorities, care providers, and voluntary groups, but we remain completely independent from them. This means we can share honest feedback based on what people tell us.
We regularly meet with service leaders to discuss what people are experiencing and what needs to change. These conversations help keep patient and service user experience at the centre of decision making.
Our priorities
We look at all areas of health and social care, including access to GP and dental services, hospital care, discharge from hospital, mental health support, and social care such as home care and care homes.
By bringing together feedback from across these areas, we can identify wider issues that affect people’s experiences, such as communication between services or delays in getting support.
Our impact
The feedback we collect is used to improve services. It can help services make changes to how they communicate, how quickly people are seen, how care is coordinated, and how services work together.
Over time, this helps create a better experience for people using health and social care services across our area.
Getting involved
There are many ways to be part of our work. You can share your experience of using health or social care services, take part in surveys or discussions, attend local events, or volunteer with us. You can also join a Health and Care Forum or get involved in Partnership Boards that help shape services directly.
You do not need any experience, just your views and your lived experience.
Working together
Everything we do is based on what local people tell us. By sharing your experiences, you help shape better, fairer, and more accessible services for everyone in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.
Have your say
Tell us your experience of health and social care services and help make care better.
Advice and information
Find out about more about how we can help you access the support you need to live well.
Our staff team
Our staff team work across both Healthwatch Cambridgeshire and Healthwatch Peterborough.
Talk to them about how you can be part of helping to make local health and care services the best they can be.
Our Board of Directors
Our Board of Directors manage both Healthwatch Cambridgeshire and Healthwatch Peterborough.
They meet bi-monthly in public and you are welcome to come along.
Our policies
Our policies are set by our Board of Directors and reviewed regularly.
You can read all our policies online.
Services We Review
Find out about our right to enter and view local health and adult social care services. And how we use this power to help improve care.