1. How to get emergency dental care

    News -

    People who need emergency dental treatment are advised to contact their regular surgery - and their case will assessed on a priority basis. They will then be referred to two new dental hubs, one in Bristol and one in Weston, for treatment.

  2. Dentistry during Covid-19

    Report -

    Healthwatch Bristol, Healthwatch North Somerset and Healthwatch South Gloucestershire have been gathering feedback about dental practice and treatment throughout the Coronavirus pandemic.

  3. Zoom in for our next Prioritisation Panel meeting on February 11

    News -

    At our Prioritisation Panel you can hear first hand how Healthwatch uses your feedback to understand the city's key health issues and works to bring about resolutions to help everyone have better health and care.

  4. Dentistry - how Healthwatch South Gloucestershire has used your feedback to bring about change

    Advice and Information -

    Over 100 people have shared their feedback on NHS dental services with us during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here's how we've used your feedback, and how it's made a difference.

  5. Advice for NHS Dental Contractors: updating your NHS website profile

    Advice and Information -

    Many dental practices are not updating their information on the NHS website. The Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England, and Healthwatch are urging dental contractors to review their profiles, to help patients find dental care more easily.

  6. South West to receive almost £5 million to provide additional dental appointments

    News -

    £50 million will be made available to the NHS in England to allow people suffering from oral pain, disease, and infection to get the care they need. £4,726,000 has been allocated to the South West.

  7. Annual Report 2021/2022

    Report -

    Your feedback helps us influence positive change and encourages the improvement of local NHS health and social care services. Take a look at everything we've been up to throughout 2021/2022.

  8. 'The barriers to accessing timely care can put people’s lives at risk' - Healthwatch England's response to the Care Quality Commission's 'State of Care' report

    News -

    The Care Quality Commission is the independent regulator of health and social care in England. Their latest report sets out the challenges the NHS and social care sector face: 'the health and care system is gridlocked, unable to operate effectively.'

  9. What to do if you can't find an NHS dentist

    Advice and Information -

    NHS dental care has been massively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and it's been almost impossible to find an NHS dentist that's accepting new patients or doing emergency treatment.

  10. MPs to examine struggle to access NHS dentistry services

    Advice and Information -

    Parliament's Health and Social Care Committee has launched an inquiry into dentistry following a survey that showed 90% of practices across the UK were not accepting new adult NHS patients.

  11. Annual Report 2022/2023

    Report -

    Last year, 793 people shared their experiences of health and social care services with us. Our annual report sets out how your comments and concerns have had a real impact on local health and social care services.

  12. A third of people in England lack confidence they can access critical NHS services

    News -

    Healthwatch England has warned that people need more confidence that the NHS can provide timely care as the winter period approaches. A third of adults in England lack confidence that they can access timely care, including GP services, mental health support and hospital care.

  13. How will we make a difference in 2024-25?

    Report -

    Our workplan sets out the areas of health and social care we will be looking at over the coming financial year. It also outlines the research we plan to carry out in order to help improve local services.

  14. 10 top tips to get the most out of your dental appointment

    Advice and Information -

    Everyone should be able to access good quality NHS dental services. Take a look at our top tips to help you get the most out of your next dental appointment.

  15. Do you need help getting to hospital?

    Advice and Information -

    Find out what support is available to help you travel to your hospital appointments.

  16. Quarterly report: April - June 2018

    Report -

    Find out what the Healthwatch South Gloucestershire staff team and volunteers have been doing during Quarter 1 (April - June 2018)

  17. Trans Health, Care & Wellbeing Report

    Report -

    For the past six years, 2012-18, Diversity Trust and Healthwatch have been researching
    the health, care and wellbeing needs and experiences of local Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Questioning (LGBTQ+) people.

  18. Thornbury Hospital Enter and View 2018

    Report -

    Healthwatch South Gloucestershire Enter and View report Thornbury Hospital on 7 February 2018.

  19. Concord Medical Centre Enter and View 2019

    Report -

    Healthwatch South Gloucestershire and Hivewatch volunteers undertook the Enter
    and View visit during March 2019. The purpose of the visit was to understand the experience
    that a patient with a learning disability would have when visiting Concord.

  20. Your health rights - Easy Read

    Advice and Information -

    Find out more about your health rights.

  21. How people with learning disabilities are helping to improve local services

    News -

    Hivewatch is a partnership between Healthwatch and The Hive, a charity that supports people with learning disabilities. Authorised representatives conduct Enter and View visits in partnership.

  22. Stanshawes Care Home, Yate Enter and View

    Report -

    Healthwatch South Gloucestershire authorised Enter and View volunteers undertook two follow-up enter and view visits to Stanshawes Care Home on 14 October 2015 and 13 January 2016.

  23. Diversity Trust Report

    Report -

    ‘Evidence for Change’
    Bristol Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans
    Health and Wellbeing Research Report
    September 2016

  24. Rural Health Needs Report September 2014 - March 2015

    Report -

    A summary of engagement with rural communities in South Gloucestershire September 2014 - March 2015.

  25. Race Equality in the South West

    Report -

    This report results from work undertaken by ESW and members of the South West Race
    Equality Forum (SWREF) over an 18 month period between 2012-2013

  26. The British Institute of Human Rights Mental Health Advocacy and Human Rights Guide

    Report -

    The guide was launched during this NHS Equality, Diversity and Human Rights Week at a round-table with major policy-makers where the results of work commissioned from BiHR by the Department of Health was discussed.

  27. LGBTQ Young People Report

    Report -

    Report by The Diversity Trust Feb 2015

  28. What you can expect from going to the doctors - Easy Read

    Advice and Information -

    Find out what you can expect when you visit your doctor.

  29. Access improvements made by the people that matter - LOCAL PATIENTS

    News -

    We teamed up with local charity the Hive and assembled a team of six people with learning disabilities to look at how access and services could be improved in a project called Hivewatch.

  30. Celebrating LGBT History Month

    News -

    Our Healthwatch team Maisy and Vicky winged their way down to Bristol Aerospace to the event run by the Diversity Trust. Maisy is seen standing next to Concorde, which was brought to its new home in Bristol, three years ago - Feb 7th, 2017.

  31. Easy Read information about Coronavirus

    Advice and Information -

    The Keep Safe website has put together a range of resources for people with learning difficulties.

  32. Healthwatch guides to help you get online advice and support

    Advice and Information -

    Use our new Healthwatch guides to help you get to grips with using health websites and apps. From Patient Access and NHS App to using Zoom, you can download and print our step-by-step guides.

  33. Covid-19 impact on local deaf community

    Advice and Information -

    We are marking Mental Health Awareness Week by looking at the barriers faced by the deaf community making them twice as likely to develop a mental health condition. Healthwatch is supporting work to help tackle the added difficulties of Covid-19.

  34. A big hearty thanks to all our volunteers

    News -

    We are celebrating Volunteers' Week June 1st to 7th by saying a big thank you to our 30 volunteers and 7 trustees who help us at Healthwatch Bristol, North Somerset and South Glos.

  35. Action needed after report shows BAME groups adversely affected by pandemic

    News -

    Large scale research and data collection is needed to tackle “humbling inequalities" in Covid-19 death rates, according to the new Public Health England report. We want our feedback to build an understanding of health experiences of BAME groups.

  36. NHS Race and Health Observatory

    News -

    A new NHS centre to investigate the effects of race and ethnicity on people’s health has got the go ahead after Covid 19 helped to focus minds on the continuing problem of racism in medicine.

  37. Learning Disability Annual Health Checks Project

    News -

    We need your help to improve Learning Disability Annual Health Checks. We are creating a set of pre-check questions, tailored to the needs of those in South Gloucestershire and to help individuals get the most out of these checks.

  38. Celebrating 10 Years of The Equality Act

    News -

    Healthwatch South Gloucestershire joins other local organisations to mark 10 years since the introduction of the Equality Act.

  39. Webinar: Busking the Myth of Risk and InAbility with Adam Pearson

    News -

    Following the success of their last webinar, South Gloucestershire Disability Equality Forum are hosting a session with disability rights campaigner, Adam Pearson.

  40. Flu vaccinations - making a point about protection from viruses this winter

    News -

    Adults at high risk from flu are also more susceptible to coronavirus so having the flu vaccine is more important than ever, to help protect everyone this winter. Read the information in 12 different languages.

  41. Healthwatch is making a difference nationally

    News -

    Healthwatch’s work, highlighting people’s experiences of health and care, has formed part of a major House of Lords report on learning key lessons from the health pandemic.

  42. NHS Nightingale Bristol will open to day patients

    News -

    The NHS Nightingale Hospital in Bristol is to open for children and adults’ routine appointments to ease pressures on hospitals in the region caused by Covid-19.

  43. Equality, Diversity and Unconscious Bias Training for VCSE groups in South Glos

    News -

    Southern Brooks Community Partnerships and CVS South Gloucestershire have organised FREE training for VCSE groups, particularly Mutual Aid Groups, new community groups and groups involved in the COVID crisis response.

  44. If you have a learning disability you need to be on your GP's learning disability register to have the vaccine

    News -

    Find out more about how to get on your GPs learning disability register to ensure you have the Covid-19 vaccine. Being on the register also means you should also be invited to have an important health check-up to pick up any symptoms of illness.

  45. Overcoming concerns about the Covid-19 vaccine if you have a learning disability

    Advice and Information -

    Our South Glos volunteer, Jemma Ballinger, says while it is great news that people on the learning disability register will be prioritised to have the vaccine, they will still often need a lot of reassurance and understanding to receive it.