News

Events were held each day in Rutland during Dementia Action Week (19-23 May 2025) to raise awareness of dementia and the local support services available.

Healthwatch Rutland supported the Spring Into Action For Dementia event held at the Rutland Council Chamber in Oakham to raise awareness of what’s available locally to support people with dementia and their carers.

The Chamber was packed with representatives from local support services and really well attended by around 90 members of the public throughout the day.

We listened to people’s feedback about their experiences with health and social care services and were able to signpost to a variety of services for support.

Playing throughout the day was a wonderful short film featuring a local gentleman and his relative talking about his life, how music and art continue to inspire him, and living with dementia:

Organisations that also attended the event included:

• Rutland County Council Admiral Nurses
• Leicestershire Partnership Trust Memory Service
• The Rutland RISE Team
• Leicestershire Musical Memory Box
• Age UK
• Vista
• Citizens Advice Rutland
• Voluntary Action Rutland
• Various home care and day care services

For information on how you can get in touch with any of these services, contact us:

07399 584572

info@healthwatchrutland.co.uk 

Hang out with Healthwatch West Northamptonshire and get to know us better – we’re here to listen to your experiences with healthcare.

Join us for our upcoming Get to Know Us! Healthwatch West Northamptonshire event!

We will be hosting our event at the Grosvenor Shopping Centre in Northampton Town Centre on the 2nd floor within the Community Space, for a fun and informative day.

We will have free tea, coffee and nibbles!

Learn about our mission to improve local health and social care services. Meet our team, ask questions, and discover how you can get involved. Whether you’re a healthcare professional, service user, or simply curious, this event is for you. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with us and learn more about Healthwatch West Northamptonshire.

See you there!

If you have any questions, please contact gabriella@healthwatchwestnorthants.com

Healthwatch West Northamptonshire is looking for someone to join our team as the Engagement and Administration Officer.

Main responsibilities of the post:

• With other team members, work with other agencies to promote the focus on equality and inclusion in Healthwatch.
• Supporting the needs of the HWW Manager regarding administration support, which includes organising and facilitating meetings and events on behalf of Healthwatch, ranging from focus groups to conferences.
• Gather evidence of the impact of Healthwatch and provide monitoring information and reports as required.
• To take an active lead and support on all the Healthwatch incoming enquiries and feedback – this includes: logging, responding and signposting, uploading to IMP database, and generating reports quarterly.
• To take an active lead and support on all engagement activities within the community of West Northants, which includes being present in the community and speaking with individuals regarding their experiences.
• Take an active interest in ensuring Healthwatch operates effectively, according to best practices and fulfils its obligations.
• Work within a team to maintain and achieve high standards and understand the importance of time management and meeting deadlines.
• Disseminate information and learning as appropriate to other networks if required, and in conjunction with the communications policy.
• Help to ensure that Healthwatch embraces diversity, challenges discrimination, and reflects the communities of West Northamptonshire.

Salary: £23,000 per annum pro rata

Hours: 18 – 24 hours

Please view the job description below for more information.

If you are interested in the position, please complete the above application form and send it back to us via enquiries@healthwatchwestnorthants.com

If you would like any more information, don’t hesitate to get in touch at the above email address.

With effect from 1st May 2025 there have been some changes made to how repeat prescriptions are handled at the Practice.

National NHS policy is promoting online methods of communication to streamline services and make access easier for patients. OMP are thus encouraging all their patients to use the NHS app, Airmid and Practice website where patients are able to do so. The more prescriptions that OMP can process from online submissions (e.g. from the NHS app) the quicker and more efficient prescription management will become for everyone.

If patients do not have the app or online access, but would like to get online, patient services staff in the Practice will be on hand to assist during periods when the reception is not too busy.

Of course, the Practice accepts that not everyone will be able to use the app for a variety of reasons. If this is the case, be assured that you will still be able to post your paper repeat prescription forms at the Practice.

The prescriptions box that was previously located outside the doors has moved to the main reception to enhance the security of patient information. Please ensure you bring your repeat prescription during Practice opening hours. Do not place prescriptions in the post-box outside, as the mail goes directly to the Administration Team, which may cause delays in processing your prescription.

If you already use an app or go online to order your repeat medications, thank you and please continue.

If you would like to get online you can download the NHS app on your smartphone or tablet via the App Store on your device. You can also access it in a web browser by logging in through the NHS website.

Find out more about the NHS app

If you would like help to get online, ask at the Practice reception – help will be available in less busy periods.

The Practice is also committed to creating a greener environment. 

The consultation about proposals to bring together on-the-day minor injuries and urgent care into a Minor Illness and Injury service has now closed.

Over the period of the consultation, Healthwatch Rutland took the opportunity to talk to people about the proposals during our outreach activities. 

The feedback we have received both from these activities and via our volunteers has been brought together into a summary response document that has been submitted to commissioners.  

The key themes from public feedback include:

• Positive welcome for a combined service to reduce confusion over what is available and when.

• Concerns over reduced hours of service from 75 to 56 hours per week.

• Frustration over the continued need to travel to other centres in Melton, Stamford, Leicester etc due to X-ray availability at Rutland Memorial Hospital only 2 days per week..

• Anxiety that one of the main routes into the new service will be via NHS 111 which people do not trust due to experiences of inconsistent response times/long waits on the phone, misdirection of patients to closed or distant facilities, and doubts about the reliability of medical advice given over the phone.

• Concern that the proposals do not allow for walk-in access to the new service.

Healthwatch Rutland response to on-the-day service proposals

Our response reflects what we have heard from the public and can be read in full here:

We are proud to announce that we have been shortlisted for the national Healthwatch Impact awards!

In September 2024 Young Healthwatch Northamptonshire published a report detailing our findings on ‘Young people and their families’ experiences of Autism and ADHD diagnosis in Northamptonshire’. The project looked at young people’s experiences, the challenges they face and the support they want to receive.

Read our shortlisted report here

The feedback we received has helped improve care pathways and training for children, young people, and their families who need further support. Their insights have also influenced the Partnership Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) project which will be going live in forty primary schools across the county to improve the help younger children receive whether they have a diagnosis or not.

As part of the local NHS’s Autism Strategy, a “no decision about us without us” approach has been adopted which puts the voices and experiences of neurodivergent children, young people, and their families at the heart of shaping care to meet their needs.

The National Healthwatch Impact Awards recognise outstanding examples of people sharing their experiences to improve care for their community and we are honoured to be alongside other excellent projects from across the country. The whole shortlist can be viewed here, with the winner being announced on the 13th March.

‘Our staff and volunteers are committed to ensuring that health and social care services meet the needs of local people but it’s the firsthand experiences of our residents that drive our work. Being shortlisted for this award is a proud moment for us, but the real recognition goes to everyone in the community who continuously supports our mission. This is an achievement for everyone in Northamptonshire’.

Kate Holt, CEO