Healthwatch Hertfordshire

Healthwatch Hertfordshire We are Hertfordshire's independent health and social care champion. We’re Hertfordshire's independent health and social care champion.

We make sure NHS leaders and other decision-makers hear your voice and use your feedback to improve care. If you use GPs and hospitals, dentists, pharmacies, care homes or other support services, we want to hear from you. We listen to your needs, experiences and concerns about local health and social care services, so we can speak out on your behalf. We gather your feedback through high-quality research and engagement and by inviting you to share your experiences. Our aim is to get services right for the future and ensure your worries and concerns about current services are addressed. We want to make sure those in charge put you at the heart of care and, if local needs are not being met, we have statutory powers to hold the system to account. We can also help if you have a question about health or social care services, but aren’t sure where to go to find the answer. Our experienced signposting team can help – whether you need to know how to make a complaint, how to access a service, or would like to give feedback. You can be confident that we are entirely independent and impartial and anything you share with us is confidential. We can only do our job with your help.

Annual Quality Accounts assess the care provided by NHS-funded providers and cover safety, effectiveness and patient exp...
13/11/2025

Annual Quality Accounts assess the care provided by NHS-funded providers and cover safety, effectiveness and patient experiences.
We review and respond to these so the voice of local people - and what matters to them - is heard.
Click here to read more: https://buff.ly/utfJCY2

Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust
East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust
East and North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust
Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
NHS Hertfordshire and West Essex
The Princess Alexandra Hospital
West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Garden House Hospice Care
Isabel Hospice

🔗 Take part in our community pharmacy survey here: https://buff.ly/wv1s6ILWe’re exploring what local people think about ...
06/11/2025

🔗 Take part in our community pharmacy survey here: https://buff.ly/wv1s6IL

We’re exploring what local people think about community pharmacies in Hertfordshire — and we want to hear from you! 🗣️

Tell us about your experiences:
💊 How do you use your pharmacy?
💬 Do you know about services like Pharmacy First?
🙋♀️ How confident do you feel using pharmacy services?
🚪 What barriers make it harder to access them?

Your views will help shape the future of community pharmacy across our county.
Please take a few minutes to complete the survey and share this post to help us reach more people.

🔗 Have your say on community pharmacies: https://buff.ly/yzv7qo1Do you use your local pharmacy for advice or support? Do...
05/11/2025

🔗 Have your say on community pharmacies: https://buff.ly/yzv7qo1

Do you use your local pharmacy for advice or support? Do you know about the extra services they offer? We’d love to hear from you! 💬

We’re exploring public perceptions of community pharmacies — what’s working well, and what could be better.
💊 How do you use your pharmacy?
💬 Are you aware of Pharmacy First?
🙋♀️ How confident are you using pharmacy services?
🚪 Are there any barriers that stop you from visiting?

Your feedback will help shape the future of pharmacy services in Hertfordshire.
Please complete our short survey and share this post to help spread the word!

💬 Challenging stigma. Changing lives.Many people living with drug or alcohol challenges still face stigma, judgement, an...
05/11/2025

💬 Challenging stigma. Changing lives.

Many people living with drug or alcohol challenges still face stigma, judgement, and exclusion — even when what they need most is understanding and support.

🎥 Watch our new short video to hear how earlier this year Healthwatch Hertfordshire worked with local partners to listen, learn, and help challenge the stigma around drugs and alcohol.

Together, we can build a community where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. 💙

👉 Watch now: https://buff.ly/iFmang6

You can also read our article here: https://buff.ly/40zc7aX

YouTube Description:In this short film, discover how we at Healthwatch Hertfordshire partnered with Hertfordshire County Council to explore the impact of sti...

This week is International Stress Awareness Week — a reminder to pause, reflect and take care of our mental wellbeing 💚S...
04/11/2025

This week is International Stress Awareness Week — a reminder to pause, reflect and take care of our mental wellbeing 💚

Stress affects everyone, but how we respond can make a huge difference. Whether it’s work, relationships, or everyday pressures, taking time to recognise and manage stress helps protect both our mental and physical health.

🧘♀️ Simple ways to de-stress today:
✨ Take 5 minutes to breathe deeply or step outside
🤝 Check in on a friend or colleague — ask “How are you, really?”
💬 Talk openly about stress — it’s OK to not be OK
📵 Set boundaries: give yourself a break from screens
🌿 Practise kindness — to yourself and others

Let’s make conversations about stress part of everyday life — not just today. 💚

👉 Learn more:

🔗 stress.org.uk

🔗 https://buff.ly/I09V2lr

People with a learning disability are entitled to free winter vaccines — including the flu and COVID-19 vaccines.These v...
04/11/2025

People with a learning disability are entitled to free winter vaccines — including the flu and COVID-19 vaccines.

These vaccines are very important. Respiratory illnesses are one of the leading causes of death for people with a learning disability. But last year, vaccine uptake was really low — so let’s make sure everyone knows they have the right to be protected this winter.

✅ If you or someone you care for has a learning disability, contact your GP or local pharmacy to book your vaccines today.

💬 Please share this post to help raise awareness and keep our community safe!

🧭 Need Help Finding the Right Health or Social Care Support?We know the health and social care system can be confusing. ...
02/11/2025

🧭 Need Help Finding the Right Health or Social Care Support?

We know the health and social care system can be confusing. That’s why Healthwatch Hertfordshire offers a free signposting service – helping you find the right person, place, or organisation to get the support you need.
Whether you're wondering:

✔️ Can I choose where my GP refers me?
✔️ How do I arrange care for a family member at home?
✔️ How do I make a complaint about poor treatment or care?

We're here to guide you.

📋 Just fill in our quick Signposting Feedback Form and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can:

👉 https://buff.ly/vPAuRxZ

🔗 Take part in our community pharmacy survey here: https://buff.ly/yzv7qo1We’re exploring what local people think about ...
31/10/2025

🔗 Take part in our community pharmacy survey here: https://buff.ly/yzv7qo1

We’re exploring what local people think about community pharmacies in Hertfordshire — and we want to hear from you! 🗣️

Tell us about your experiences:
💊 How do you use your pharmacy?
💬 Do you know about services like Pharmacy First?
🙋♀️ How confident do you feel using pharmacy services?
🚪 What barriers make it harder to access them?

Your views will help shape the future of community pharmacy across our county.
Please take a few minutes to complete the survey and share this post to help us reach more people.

📣 We’re here to make your voice heard in health and social care — and we’re on social media!As Hertfordshire's independe...
30/10/2025

📣 We’re here to make your voice heard in health and social care — and we’re on social media!
As Hertfordshire's independent health and care champion, we work to make sure your experiences shape the services you use — from GPs and dentists to care homes and pharmacies.

💬 Got something to say about your care?

📲 Follow us, share your story, and stay updated on how we're making services better for everyone.

🔎 Find us on: Facebook, Twitter/X, LinkedIn and Instagram:

👉 Facebook: https://buff.ly/VykHyLC
👉 LinkedIn: https://buff.ly/45qiF87
👉 Instagram: https://buff.ly/QicrB1y
👉 Twitter/X: https://buff.ly/6Dg0h1z

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Who We Are

Helping service users and communities Healthwatch helps people to find information about local health and social care services. We promote patient involvement and choice, and point people in the right direction when something goes wrong. We also have a role to promote the involvement of Hertfordshire’s communities in improving and developing services. Helping those who commission and deliver services We help commissioners to plan and design services making sure that the views, experiences and needs of patients, carers and users are taken into account. We also highlight where services are doing well and also where they can be improved. We carry out visits to services to see how well they are working. We can also take concerns to the inspectors and regulators if necessary. We are YOUR voice If you have had any problems with health or social services, have any comments or observations, then please get in touch. We can only do our job with your help.