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Advice and Information -
NHS social prescribing link workers can connect you to the right community groups and services to help support you.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.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.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.News -
Last week the House of Commons Health and Care Select committee has published its report Adult Social Care Reform: The Cost of Inaction.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.Advice and Information -
The new Pharmacy First scheme enables your local pharmacy to treat some common conditions with prescription-only medicines, without you visiting your GP. Find out everything you need to know.Report -
On this page is our national partner Healthwatch England’s pharmacy closures briefing report, after they sent a Freedom of Information (FoI) request to all 42 Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) in England to investigate the issue of pharmacy closures. Read a brief summary of the key findings and recommendations for healthcare leaders below.Report -
Our report on Patient Experiences of Pharmacy Services, detailing a total of 141 experiences about Pharmacy Services across Devon, Plymouth and Torbay during the 18-month period. Issues raised by those surveyed include medication delays and supply problems that affect the prescription/repeat prescription service, patients not knowing when their medications are ready for collection, and phone calls going unanswered. We have shared the report and its findings with NHS stakeholders in Devon and made key recommendations for them.
By Healthwatch in Devon, Plymouth, and TorbayReport -
This Patient Experience Summary covers the period 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022.
This summary will focus on the feedback raised in Plymouth. The data for Torbay and Devon for the last 12 months is not sufficient to draw conclusions or observations, but issues raised have been similar. When looking at the Plymouth data specifically and comparing the amount of feedback received since 1 April 2018, we have seen an increase year on year.Response -
Healthwatch England responds to the National Pharmacy Association's call to reduce services.Response -
Read Healthwatch England's response to the news that more funding will be made available for community pharmacies.News -
NHS prescription charges in England will be frozen for the first time in 3 years, keeping the cost of a prescription below ten pounds.News -
The General Pharmaceutical Council has launched its new strategic plan at a UK Parliamentary event attended by the UK Pharmacy Minister.News -
A year after the launch of Pharmacy First, the NHS scheme designed to speed up treatment for common conditions, our national partners Healthwatch England have published a new poll of over 7,000 adults’ experience of using pharmacies.Report -
In January 2024, Pharmacy First went live, helping people get treatment for seven common conditions faster without seeing a GP. Our new report examines people's experiences with pharmacy services one year later, identifying what's working and the remaining challenges.Response -
The annual GP Patient Survey is out today. It highlights improvements to how people access care from their GP, pharmacy, dentistry, and other primary care teams. Read the response of our national partner Healthwatch England.News -
Working with Royal Mail, NHS and patient organisations, our national partners Healthwatch England have written an open letter to Ofcom highlighting the introduction of new protections to ensure reliable and efficient postal service for NHS patients.News -
NHS England has published a refreshed version of the Accessible Information Standard (AIS) which was first released in 2016. Here we look at what the standard means for you and and how this has changed with the refreshed version.News -
NHS England has published the long-awaited updates to the Accessible Information Standard. Read our response.News -
Are you a refugee or seeking asylum in England? Learn about how to access NHS care and what services you’re entitled to.News -
Our national partner Healthwatch England's self-selecting survey of nearly 1,400 trans and non-binary adults highlights that only 53% rate their GP practice as 'good' for general care.Blog -
Our insights into people's experiences of using community-based care.