1. Thinking about end of life care for you and your family

    Advice and Information -

    End of life care is support for people who are in the last months or years of their life. The guidance on the NHS website helps you know what to expect, how to plan ahead and how to manage your day to day decisions.

  2. Annual Report 2016/17

    Report -

    Read our annual report for 2016/17 and find out about all the work carried out by our team and our brilliant volunteers in Bath & North East Somerset throughout the year.

  3. Annual Report 2013/14

    Report -

    Read our very first annual report which covers 2013/14 and find out about all the brilliant work carried out by our team and volunteers.

  4. Accessible Information Standard

    Report -

    What difference has the Accessible Information Standard made for local people since it was introduced in 2016?

  5. Paulton Memorial Hospital Enter and View

    Report -

    In November 2017 our enter and view team visited the Paulton Memorial Hospital and reported on their findings

  6. Springfield House Enter and View Report

    Report -

    Our enter and view team visited Springfield House on 14th September and have reported on their findings

  7. Ivy Bank House Enter and View Report

    Report -

    Our enter and view team visited Ivy Bank House on 23rd August and have reported on their findings

  8. Newbridge Towers Care Home

    Report -

    Enter and view visit to Newbridge Towers Care Home, Bath - July 2017

  9. Treetops Care Home

    Report -

    Enter and view re-visit to Treetops Care Home June 2017, where the team followed up on the recommendations made in February 2015

  10. Cedar Park Residential and Nursing Home

    Report -

    Enter and view visit to Cedar Park Residential and Nursing Home, Bath March 2017

  11. Ex Civil Servant Diana Sees the Power of Community Action

    News -

    Ex Civil Servant Diana Sees the Power of Community Action

  12. Care Quality Commission Publish Five-Year Strategy Discussion Paper

    News -

    The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has published a discussion paper setting out potential changes to the way it inspects health and social care organisations in future.

  13. Do you know that you can give feedback on NHS care?

    News -

    Many people don’t quite know how to provide feedback on the care they have received from the NHS, but it’s incredibly important to have your say so you can help shape and improve your local services.

  14. CQC want more older people, their friends and families to share their experiences of health and social care

    News -

    Research has shown that older people are less likely to complain about services and are less aware of the different ways they can share their views.

  15. NHS England launches national review of the Accessible Information Standard

    News -

    Since 1 August 2016, all organisations that provide NHS care or adult social care have been legally required to follow the Accessible Information Standard (AIS).

  16. Healthwatch and Julian House: working together to improve homeless people’s health

    News -

    We are working together with Julian House to ask local homeless people how we can help them to improve their health.

  17. What would you change about local health and care services?

    News -

    Younger people in Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire are being given an opportunity to help shape how health and care services are provided in the future.

  18. Growing pressures on access and staffing risk creating ‘perfect storm’ for people using mental health and learning disability services

    News -

    The Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) annual assessment of the state of health and social care in England shows that quality ratings have been maintained overall – but people’s experience of care is determined by whether they can access good care when they need it.

  19. What you need to know when visiting a care home (new guidance for COVID-19)

    Advice and Information -

    As of Monday the 8th of March, the government's roadmap out of lockdown begins, and with it, the introduction of a single named nominated visitor to residents in care homes.

  20. COVID-19: What people are telling us about their care

    News -

    Find out what the public has been telling us about health and social care from April - June 2020, including the key issues people have faced because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

  21. New Self-Harm Information Service Launch

    News -

    As of Monday 5 October, Self-injury Support will be offering self-harm information and navigation service open to anyone over 18 affected by self-harm.

  22. Healthwatch BANES news Bites December 2020

    News -

    In this month's newsletter, we will share how your experiences prompted a review of dental services, our version of 12 days of Christmas, updates on the COVID vaccine rollout, and much more.

  23. Dementia charity launches Musical Tea month

    News -

    Playlist for Life, a Music and Dementia charity, has launched a Musical Tea Campaign to help people stay connected while social distancing continues. The charity is asking people to hold various virtual musical tea events throughout October.

  24. Review of dental services in Bath and North East Somerset November 2020

    News -

    Healthwatch Bath and North East Somerset gather feedback about a wide range of health and care services. This briefing highlights what Healthwatch Bath and North East Somerset have been hearing from local people about dental services during 2020.

  25. Clinically extremely vulnerable receive updated guidance in line with new national restrictions

    News -

    Clinically extremely vulnerable people in England have today received further guidance on keeping safe as the country introduces new national restrictions the government has announced.

  26. Local doctor echoes PM’s call for people to continue using NHS services during lockdown

    News -

    People living in Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire are being advised to stay on top of their health and wellbeing by continuing to use the NHS throughout the next period of national lockdown.

  27. Healthwatch BANES News Bites October 2020

    News -

    Read October's edition of Healthwatch BANES news bites and find out the latest on musical tea, self-care, and the impact of COVID on cancer patients.

  28. Tell Us What You Think about 'Transition' Services - Rainbow Resource

    News -

    A local information service for families with a child or young person with additional needs, a special educational need, or disability is asking for young persons and carer feedback on 'transition' (the change from children to adult services).

  29. Age UK to celebrate delivery of 12,000 hot meals to the elderly through new social enterprise

    News -

    In March this year, Age UK launched a pre-planned start-up social enterprise called Meals + with just a single customer, oven, freezer, and delivery vehicle. This week they will deliver their 12,000th hot meal.

  30. Childrens Charity shares pressures of pandemic on families caring for seriously ill children

    Report -

    Children's charity, Rainbow Trust, has shared its key findings of the pandemic pressures on families with seriously ill children, and its recommendations for decision makers and commissioners going forward in its latest report.

  31. Healthwatch B&Nes Volunteer, Catherine Shaw shares her volunteering story

    Blog -

    Catherine Shaw joined Healthwatch B&Nes as an volunteer two years ago as she began a part-time Masters degree with the Open University on ‘Advancing Healthcare Practice’. Here Catherine shares her story.

  32. Local NHS Professional shares three self care steps for good mental health in lockdown

    News -

    Local health professionals are encouraging all of us to take three simple steps to maintain good mental health in lockdown. According to the experts, sleep, a healthy diet, and regular exercise can benefit our mental health as much as our physical.

  33. Free Flu vaccines to be offered to people aged 50 - 64 years of age

    News -

    People over the age of 50 will be able to get their free flu vaccine from 1 December in the next phase of this year’s expanded flu vaccination programme, the government has confirmed.

  34. Homecare workers to be tested weekly for COVID-19

    News -

    Care workers looking after people in their own homes will be offered weekly coronavirus tests from today (Monday 23 November), the government has announced.

  35. Executive Board September Meeting Minutes 2020

    Report -

    Vanessa Scott chaired the September Healthwatch Bath and North Somerset Executive meeting. You can download the minutes of the meeting here.

  36. Extremely vulnerable offered free sunshine vitamin to help them through the Winter

    News -

    More than 2.5 million vulnerable people across England will be offered free vitamin D supplements for the winter, the government has announced.

  37. Healthwatch B&NES Newsbites October

    News -

    Read November's edition of Healthwatch news bites and find out the latest on COVID news, stories of our work, a video explanation of what we do (courtesy of Healthwatch Plymouth), and much more.

  38. Local health and care organisations to partner up to improve patient experience

    Blog -

    NHS England and Improvement (NHSEI) has announced that Health and care organisations in Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire (BSW) are to join up as they meet the criteria to become an integrated care system.

  39. Public told to know their options as Pharmacies and GP practices close for long Christmas weekend

    News -

    Many pharmacies and GP practices across Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire will be closed for four consecutive days over the Christmas period.

  40. Wiltshire and B&NES winter opening hours - Dentists and Pharmacies

    News -

    Service times will change for primary care services over the bank holiday and Winter period. Below are the arrangements for B&NES and Wiltshire.

  41. Shielding for the clinically extremely vulnerable to stop from 1st April

    News -

    More than 3.79 million clinically extremely vulnerable people in England will be informed they are no longer advised to shield from Thursday 1 April 2021.

  42. Your questions answered on COVID vaccines

    Advice and Information -

    To date, over 30 million people in the UK have received their first dose of the vaccine. But as this is a phased rollout - what does that mean for you and your loved ones in light of new variants of COVID?

  43. Children and young people briefing January 2021

    News -

    Healthwatch B&NES helps local people get the best out of health and social care services. In this briefing, we hear from the children and young people of two of our Community Pot Projects.

  44. Explaining COVID and the Vaccine to those with Learning Disabilities and Autism

    Advice and Information -

    Are you or someone you know looking for Easy Read information to explain our current situation with COVID, vaccines, and Lockdown? If so, we have collated the latest documents, films, and audio to help explain and reassure you and your loved ones.

  45. "Don't call us, we will call you," plea health leaders as COVID vaccination rollout ramps up

    News -

    Health leaders call for patience as all GP-led, community-based coronavirus vaccination sites in Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon, and Wiltshire open meaning everyone in the area aged 80 or over will be invited to for their Covid-19 vaccine.

  46. Healthwatch BANES news Bites January 2021

    News -

    In this month, we will be sharing how you are helping Healthwatch, to help you; with the latest report on our Because We All Care campaign and how Every Mind Matters can make inside feel better.

  47. Services and volunteers unite to support NHS rollout of life saving vaccine

    News -

    NHS staff working across Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon, and Wiltshire to deliver the lifesaving coronavirus vaccine have been given a helping hand on the frontline by local fire crews, volunteers, and military personnel.

  48. COVID-19 vaccine information in various community languages

    Advice and Information -

    Vaccine misinformation and delay among ethnic minority communities is fast becoming an issue in the fight against COVID-19. Here, we share downloadable leaflets and multimedia materials to help share the message that vaccines are safe.

  49. Let us know what you think about the COVID-19 vaccine

    News -

    As the vaccination programme continues we ask for your thoughts on the delivery of COVID-19 vaccines in BANES. The NHS is doing everything they can but there might be things that can be improved.

  50. CQC publishes report on Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust’s forensic inpatient and secure wards

    News -

    Following a recent inspection, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has published a report today on the forensic inpatient and secure wards at Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust at its Fromeside site.