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 re

search 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.

🧭 Need Help Finding the Right Health or Social Care Support?We know the health and social care system can be confusing. ...
13/08/2026

🧭 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/ehdRYox

🌳 Every child deserves the chance to thrive outdoors.Today is international youth day, and we'd like to share our latest...
12/08/2026

🌳 Every child deserves the chance to thrive outdoors.

Today is international youth day, and we'd like to share our latest case study in our From conversations to change: Young people on health and social care.

This time we've taken a look at the health benefits of outdoor activities for young people.

For one Hertfordshire parent, outdoor activities run by local charity CHEX have made a real difference to their child’s confidence, anxiety and mental health.

“I have seen a big change in them over the last several months… the outdoor activities have had a positive impact on their mental health.”

And young people themselves are telling us how valuable time outdoors can be:

“Being outside makes me feel normal… it makes me feel happy.”

Outdoor activities can give children a much-needed break from classroom pressures and screen time, while helping them become more active, calmer and connected to nature.

But access isn’t equal. 48% of children and young people in Hertfordshire—around 85,000—aren’t currently meeting recommended physical activity levels.

That’s why we need to keep investing in:
🌿 Regular, local outdoor programmes
🌳 Better access to green spaces
💚 Inclusive activities for children with SEND and mental health needs
🤝 Community-led opportunities
🗣️ Children and young people having a say in the spaces and activities designed for them

Every child should have the opportunity to benefit from being outdoors, regardless of where they live or their circumstances.

Aged care residents told us they wanted to keep feeling socially connected, while maintaining privacy and dignity. They ...
10/08/2026

Aged care residents told us they wanted to keep feeling socially connected, while maintaining privacy and dignity. They said the ability to continue making choices for themselves was paramount.

Following visits to three local homes, our Resident Voices in Residential Care Homes Report highlighted how important it is to listen to the voices of adults living in care homes, so they remain at the heart of decisions.

Read more here: https://buff.ly/dpCgdLl

Healthwatch England Hertfordshire County Council Age UK Hertfordshire Hertfordshire Health and Wellbeing

We explored what life was like at three local care homes to find out whether residents felt 'involved' in their day-to-d...
07/08/2026

We explored what life was like at three local care homes to find out whether residents felt 'involved' in their day-to-day lives and how homes could best support residents to live well - keeping the focus on people, not just processes.

The project listened to the voices of residents and staff and enabled us to provide independent insight into everyday life in the care homes we visited. Read more here: https://buff.ly/dpCgdLl

Healthwatch England Hertfordshire County Council Age UK Hertfordshire Hertfordshire Health and Wellbeing

Residents choosing whether to be involved in activities - or not - andproviding input into what types of things they do,...
06/08/2026

Residents choosing whether to be involved in activities - or not - and
providing input into what types of things they do, events or outings is a key part of the 'Connected Lives' model for care homes.

We spoke with residents at three local care homes, to find out how involved they felt in decisions about their everyday lives. Good practice at these homes focussed on person-centred care and set a benchmark for other homes to follow.

Read our Resident Voices in Residential Care Homes Report here: https://buff.ly/dpCgdLl

Healthwatch England Hertfordshire County Council Age UK Hertfordshire Hertfordshire Health and Wellbeing

We talked to residents and staff at three local care homes about the 'Connected Lives' model – which focusses on feeling...
05/08/2026

We talked to residents and staff at three local care homes about the 'Connected Lives' model – which focusses on feeling safe, respected and valued, while providing choice, independence, personal care, relationships and community connection.

Residents told us about their day-to-day lives and the input they had into everyday choices, activities and care plans, which made them feel involved and empowered.

The Resident Voices in Residential Care Homes Report brings together these findings and provides an independent insight into everyday life at the care homes we visited. Read more here: https://buff.ly/dpCgdLl

Healthwatch England Hertfordshire County Council Age UK Hertfordshire Hertfordshire Health and Wellbeing

💬 Having issues with your GP practice and not sure where to turn? You're not alone — and we're here to help.Since the pa...
29/07/2026

💬 Having issues with your GP practice and not sure where to turn? You're not alone — and we're here to help.

Since the pandemic, the way GP surgeries communicate with patients has changed, and it can be confusing to know who to speak to or what steps to take.

🧭 Our advice page can guide you through what to do next:

👉 https://buff.ly/5VT4SmX

Research looking at the challenges faced by deaf people when accessing local health services, showed that some healthcar...
28/07/2026

Research looking at the challenges faced by deaf people when accessing local health services, showed that some healthcare staff had little, or no, training in how to support deaf patients.

Read about what else people told us in the Beyond Barriers to Better Health Report and the recommendations that have been made: https://buff.ly/PRfw8oY

Gobby Communities 1st Hearing Advisory Service Healthwatch England Hertfordshire Health and Wellbeing Hertfordshire County Council NHS Central East

Today is World Hepatitis Day (https://buff.ly/cwInm1k)287 million people are living with viral hepatitis. Most don’t eve...
28/07/2026

Today is World Hepatitis Day (https://buff.ly/cwInm1k)

287 million people are living with viral hepatitis. Most don’t even know. Viral hepatitis often shows no symptoms, so many won’t know they have it until it’s too late.

But hepatitis is preventable and treatable. We have fast and accurate tests, effective and affordable treatments, and a proven vaccine for hepatitis B. We already have everything we need to eliminate it.

But low awareness, misinformation, myths and stigma are stopping people from accessing hepatitis services – and leading to a lack of action by decision makers.

At Healthwatch Hertfordshire we have published research on the experiences of people using sexual health services (https://buff.ly/qEtclF0) which has had huge local impact (https://buff.ly/LONJote). But more needs to be done to ensure preventable diseases are stopped in their tracks, and we hope in the future we will be able to support further research.

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