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Advice and Information -
People have told us they can have problems registering with a GP. This article explains more about your rights and what do to if you are refused the right to register. -
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. -
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. -
Advice and Information -
Find out what support is available to help you when travelling to your GP, hospital or other NHS services. -
Advice and Information -
Take a look at our advice article on the organisations and groups that can support you if you’re grieving. -
Advice and Information -
If you are experiencing or feel at risk of domestic abuse, or are worried about someone who might be, find out where you can go for advice and help. -
Advice and Information -
With more and more appointments happening online, we've put together some tips on how to get the most out of the virtual health and care appointments both for patients and health and care professionals. -
Advice and Information -
Many people who provide unpaid care are unaware of their rights. Find out more about the help and support you are entitled to. -
Advice and Information -
Waiting for planned medical care or surgery can be a frustrating time. That’s why it’s so important that while you wait, you get regular, clear and accessible updates so that you can plan your next steps. -
Advice and Information -
Your mental wellness is as important as your physical health but seeking help can be daunting. Here's what to expect when you seek support for your mental health. -
Advice and Information -
Do you or a loved one need help with social care? Read the article below and find out answers to key questions about who can access adult social care and how to pay for it. -
Report -
The Annual report 2016/17 provides information about the areas we have worked on, the changes we have be involved with and the valuable feedback our residents have provided. -
Report -
NHS England have told local NHS organisations across the country to develop plans to support the future health and care needs of their local population. These plans are called
Sustainability and Transformation Plans. -
Report -
Half Penny Steps is a GP practice. The Practice is split into two distinct services one for GP/primary care medical services, and the other for the GP walk-in service, which operates
7 days a week. -
Report -
This report presents the findings of the Dignity Champions’ ‘Enter and View’ visit to Soho Square General Practice in Soho. -
Report -
People told us that there was little support to help them stay well and manage their long-term health conditions. Others reported that
they were unsure of how to access additional support for people living with long- term health conditions. -
Report -
Ths report tells you about some of the work that we carried out in 2016 – 2018. It details what people told us about local health and care services and how we used this to talk to commissioners and providers of services to bring about improvements. -
Report -
The Dignity Champions observed the medical team providing the service in a kind and compassionate manner and the patients praised their professionalism, they also identified a few areas where the service could improve -
Report -
Young Healthwatch is a network of volunteers aged 14-25 who represent the views of children and young people living, working or studying Westminster. This report details the review of services from a young persons perspective. -
Report -
This report provides insights into how primary care services are meeting the needs of their Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic patients, as well as some of the challenges that still need to be addressed. -
Report -
This report details our staff and volunteers’ response to the Covid-19 crisis so far. It is clear from our findings that COVID-19 has affected people in different ways and exacerbated existing health inequalities. -
Report -
The COVID-19: Your Experience Matters survey was developed to capture the broadest range of experiences: in this report, we look at physical health and access to services; mental health and wellbeing; personal and family relationships; housing, environment and finances; and information. -
Report -
We have gathered a wealth of feedback on the effects of the pandemic and have used this to help commissioners develop plans for the recovery -
Report -
We asked local people ‘how is the COVID-19 outbreak affecting you and your loved ones?’ You can read our report here -
Report -
How we have made health and care better by listening to residents, patients, & carers -
Report -
GP practice websites are an important tool to communicate information and signpost patients to correct services - but your feed back reveals that some GP practice websites are difficult to navigate or it is hard to find the right information. -
Report -
To find out how well the ‘digital first’ strategy is working for all people, we engaged with a range of organisations and groups from across the borough. This report builds on previous work we carried out on digital healthcare in 2020. -
News -
Over the last nine years, Healthwatch Central West London (CWL) has delivered the Healthwatch function across Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea. As with most publicly funded contracts, these are put out to tender by the Local Authority on a regular basis, and potential providers are invited to apply. -
News -
The Voice Exchange was a project we ran throughout 2021. Commissioned by Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, the project focused on speaking with people in Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea, to explore how mental health services in the bi-borough could look in the future. -
News -
Following an email exchange with the group lead, our Youth Engagement Manager, attended Westminster Council’s ‘Tuesday Group’ in March to run an engagement workshop that would start discussions with young care leavers. -
News -
Today marks the five year anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire. This is an important day for our community and many local groups have organised events of commemoration and remembrance. -
News -
If you are a patient or carer in any of the wards across Westminster or Kensington & Chelsea and are registered to a local GP, then the good news is you can join your GP practice Patient Participation Group (PPG). -
News -
From collaborating with local schools to auditing GP websites, discover how Young Healthwatch is exploring and representing the needs of young people in Kensington & Chelsea. -
News -
We have published a new report, ‘Accessing Healthcare Digitally’. The report sets out the findings from our recent community engagement on the accessibility of digital healthcare tools. It also contains a comprehensive set of recommendations for service providers, designed to ensure that digital healthcare tools become as accessible and user-friendly as possible. -
News -
On Tuesday 7th December, we held our 2021 Annual Meeting.
We brought together over 60 members, volunteers, staff, local colleagues, community partners, and members of the public to showcase our work and plan our priorities for the coming year. -
How we’re collaborating with Imperial College London to raise awareness of local health inequalities
News -
Last month we were delighted to continue our relationship with Imperial College London by hosting four third-year medical students for a workshop on health inequalities and the work of local Healthwatch. -
News -
Over the past two years, collaborating with local groups has become an essential part of our work through our Small Grants Programme. It enables us to connect with people from a range of minority ethnic backgrounds and minority groups. -
News -
Alongside this year’s Annual report, we have created an A5 booklet that shares the impact of our work, with a focus on tackling health inequalities and improving local services. -
News -
Online GP consultations have become more common since the COVID-19 pandemic, when many GP practices were physically closed to patients. Some online systems have now been expanded, with patients able to see their GP online for anything from a routine consultation to non-urgent medical advice, or support with a long-term condition.
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News -
We’ve been hearing from a number of care home residents in Westminster and RBKC about the difficulties they have when trying to access dental care. This got us thinking about how dental care is managed in care homes. -
News -
The vaccine is now being offered to all 12 to 15-year-olds and the NHS will be delivering the vaccination through schools. Schools are contacted with students of this age to arrange a date to vaccinate their students. -
News -
Our work is focused on giving local people a voice in health and care; however, we also like to share when our work gets mentioned internationally… -
News -
Healthwatch Central West London will collaborate with the North West London Schools Research Network to pilot a new student engagement project in schools across North West London. -
News -
Imagine a project that not only facilitates conversation and idea-sharing between Healthwatch branches across the country, it also plays an important part in removing barriers that may prevent engagement work with minority ethnic groups and other minority groups…
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News -
In our first ‘in-person’ event after lockdown restrictions eased, we brought together people who receive home care, relatives, unpaid carers, and workers from Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea Councils for a workshop on improving local home care services.