1. Advice and Information -

    Take a look at our advice article on the organisations and groups that can support you if you’re grieving.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. News -

    Nearly a fifth of people who have experienced trauma say they often avoid health services. Healthwatch England have called on the NHS to adopt pocket-sized trauma cards for patients to show during appointments, following a successful pilot.
  5. Report -

    This report presents findings from our December 2022 to January 2023 survey on men’s health and the feedback shared by 132 local men.

    By Healthwatch in Devon, Plymouth, and Torbay
  6. News -

    People detained for inpatient assessment and treatment under the Mental Health Act seem to be more unwell on admission than in the past, according to a report out today from the Care Quality Commission.
  7. News -

    The Government launched a call for evidence to inform the development of a men's health strategy for England. Share your views by 17 July 2025.
  8. News -

    The Torbay Health and Wellbeing Voluntary Sector Network has released its second annual report showcasing an “extraordinary year of community collaboration, impact, and resilience in the face of ongoing economic and social challenges”.
  9. Advice and Information -

    NHS social prescribing link workers can connect you to the right community groups and services to help support you.
  10. Report -

    Healthwatch England report examining ten key areas of care, including GPs, dentists, hospitals, and social care. It is based on more than 65 thousand experiences recorded from all local Healthwatch organisations across the country – including from us here at Healthwatch in Devon, Plymouth and Torbay. It also includes recommendations and potential solutions for the NHSE, commissioners and service providers.
  11. News -

    Good social care can make a big difference to someone's life. But are people always receiving the help they need? Find out what our research and feedback tells us and how we think social care support could be improved.
  12. Report -

    Our latest quarterly impact report is now available to read, which details our key activities for the last quarter, including how we have engaged with the public, a summary of the feedback we have collected, case studies, our reports, recommendations and any outcomes or impact made.
  13. News -

    Last week the House of Commons Health and Care Select committee has published its report Adult Social Care Reform: The Cost of Inaction.
  14. Advice and Information -

    Health issues unfortunately don't leave us alone at the weekend and people are often in need of medical assistance out of hours. Using NHS guidelines, we have provided some advice and information on where you can go for help when your GP is closed.
  15. Advice and Information -

    The cost of living crisis has put many people under financial strain, and prescription costs are more than some can afford. Find out what help is out there to help you cover the cost of your medication.
  16. News -

    This Share for Better Care Week (24 February – 2 March), Dr Ranj is teaming up with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and Healthwatch England (HWE) to urge people across England to take three spare minutes to feed back on their recent health and social care experiences.
  17. Report -

    Healthwatch England’s research unpacks people’s experiences of using Community Diagnostic Centres and lessons for expanding community-based care.
  18. Report -

    This report details our key activities for the last quarter, including how we have engaged with the public, a summary of the feedback we have collected, our reports, recommendations and any outcomes or impact made.
  19. Report -

    Healthwatch England recently published their findings and a set of immediate actions for the Government and the NHS, in relation to the cost of living and the detrimental impact it is having on people’s decisions about their own health and wellbeing.

    In light of these findings, we wanted to find out if the cost of living was having an impact on people in Devon, Plymouth and Torbay and if so, in what way.

    60 people responded to the survey and the survey ran throughout March to May 2023.

    By Healthwatch in Devon, Plymouth, and Torbay
  20. Report -

    In 2022, Healthwatch in Devon, Plymouth and Torbay held a series of meetings with the South West representative of the Royal Association for Deaf People to discuss various concerns that were being raised around access to British Sign Language (BSL) qualified interpreters. These concerns include:

    • Interpreters to support appointments in hospital and GP surgeries
    • Interpreters to support complaints process
    • Access to information
  21. Report -

    Building on previous pieces of work on the NHS 111 services provided by Devon Doctors in Devon and Somerset, Healthwatch in Devon, Plymouth, and Torbay (HWDPT) and Healthwatch Somerset (HWS) worked together to find out whether people’s experiences with the 111 service had improved or changed since the previous research was carried out.

    This report highlights our key findings and detailed responses.
  22. Response -

    The Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced today that he will bring the NHS back under the control of ministers by abolishing NHS England.
  23. Report -

    Healthwatch Plymouth were invited to a drop-in workshop with a group of women working with ‘Gifted Women’ – a charity for women who are rebuilding their lives after substance misuse, homelessness and contact with the criminal justice system – to learn more about their experiences with local health and social care services.
  24. Report -

    In May 2022, Healthwatch Plymouth were approached by the new provider of Mayflower Medical Group (MMG) to undertake a patient survey.

    The survey’s focus was to address long established patient concerns and frustrations in accessing GP services at the 5 surgeries that form MMG and to ask for suggestions on generally improving the service and in particular improving access.
  25. News -

    Want to find out more about heart health? Join Naing KoKo, consultant cardiologist, at a free health talk on Tuesday 29 April 2025, from 5.30pm-6.30pm at TREC, Torbay Hospital (or online).
  26. Blog -

    Our national partner Healthwatch England's latest research found frequent errors in patients’ individual medical records. Read their latest blog below...