Recent Projects

We have published the report from our Enter and View visit to Northampton General Hospital’s Paediatrics Departments.

In October 2025, Healthwatch West Northamptonshire representatives, consisting of two staff members and two volunteers, conducted an Enter and View (more information about this method) to the Paediatric Departments at Northampton General Hospital. We were able to speak to patients and staff about their experiences, observe the service and provide recommendations to the hospital to improve patient experience.

The recommendations we made included: 

• Increase the communications and awareness of the hospital passport system.
• Introduce sensory spaces on all wards, especially Disney and Paddington.
• Redevelop the outdoor space into an inclusive, accessible play environment with greenery, sensory paths and wheelchair-friendly equipment.

Read the report:

We recently conducted an Enter and View visit to the Adult Emergency Departments at Northampton General Hospital, read our findings!

In October 2025, Healthwatch West Northamptonshire representatives, conducted an Enter and View (more information about this method) to the Adult Emergency Departments at Northampton General Hospital. We are happy to announce that this report has been published!

Some of our Key Findings can be seen below.

Positives:

• Passionate and dedicated staff
• Safe and secure departments, with dementia-friendly blue seating
• We were informed about upcoming renovations to help the flow of patients and the quality of care

The recommendations we made included:

• Better communication with patients about what to expect and wait times
• Improving where patients are waiting, with additional notices, display boards and décor
• Improvements to provide more privacy to patients

“It was great to have the ability to view the service and to speak with both patients and staff. We were able to see the positive strides the service has taken to improve the patient pathway and made suggestions for ways to improve patients’ experiences.”

Gabriella Van Beek, HWW Operations Manager

Read the report:

We have published our 2024-25 Young Healthwatch Annual Report, see what we have been up to!

This year we have published 5 reports:

• Young People’s Experiences of Dentistry in Northamptonshire
• 15 Steps Visit Kettering General Hospital
• Teen Clinic Daventry: An Evaluation
• Experiences of Autism and ADHD waiting lists in Northamptonshire
• Vaping in West Northamptonshire

The young people that volunteer with us have really worked hard this year. The skills and dedication that they have shown is fantastic and we would not be able to make sure that the voices of children and young people across Northamptonshire are heard without them”

Young Healthwatch Lead

Read about our year:

Find out about the work we undertook this year!

Our annual report is a showcase of the work we completed throughout the last financial year, including the projects we conducted, how we’ve made a difference and the way that we work.

We’ve listened to feedback from all areas of our community. People’s experiences of care help us know what’s working and what isn’t, so we can give feedback on services and help them improve. This year we published 14 reports, with key highlights including:

• Our visit to Corby’s Willowbrook Health Centre led to improvements in accessibility and dementia-friendly design. Our feedback shaped plans for the new CDC, including a dedicated dementia care pathway.
• The REN project identified that low awareness and complex processes limit research participation. Future efforts will focus on publicity and community involvement to enhance engagement and equity.
• We captured the lived experiences of young people and their families waiting for Autism and ADHD diagnoses, highlighting the emotional strain and lack of support during long waits. By sharing these powerful stories with the ICB, we helped decision-makers see the real impact behind the data and brought experiences of both children and families to the forefront.

Our latest report, “Making Your Voice Count: An Exploration of Mental and Physical Wellbeing in Northamptonshire” has now been published!

Last year Healthwatch North and West Northamptonshire embarked on a 4 month campaign to engage with people locally and gain a greater understanding of their physical and mental health, including how they manage their wellbeing, with an aim to support individuals within the community through our findings. We designed a survey to gather the views of people in Northamptonshire, which gained 482 responses.

We have since analysed the feedback we received and have created a report detailing what people told us. The report also includes our recommendations, key findings and more information about the background of the campaign.

Read the report:

Young Healthwatch has published our report on Young People’s Experiences of Oral Health in Northamptonshire.

In December 2024, Young Healthwatch Northamptonshire held two focus groups in Northamptonshire secondary schools, asking questions about their experiences. Questions ranged from how often they see a dentist to ones intended to understand their knowledge of maintaining good oral health and where to access information regarding this.

The feedback we received was mixed. For example, in response to ‘How close is your dentist? Is it easy to get to?’, some young people told us it was within walking/driving distance, while for others this wasn’t the case.

Answers included:

“Cambridge, it was the only place that was taking on patients. My mum drove me.”

“I travel to Lithuania to go to the dentist. My family find it cheaper and more trustworthy”

The responses to all our focus group questions have been put into a report, which can be read below!

Full report:

Easy read: