Recent Projects

During the height of the Spring 2020 Coronavirus lockdown, between late April and early June, Healthwatch Rutland were asking the public across Leicester Leicestershire and Rutland (LLR) to tell them about their experiences of health and care support.

Many changes, made very quickly in March and April, substantially affected people’s access to health and care services. To name a few, these changes included: closure of Urgent Care Centres in Oakham and Melton Mowbray; cessation of planned procedures and hospital clinics; protocols for rapid discharge from hospital; and how to access appointments at GP surgeries. In a joint survey from Healthwatch in Rutland, Leicester/Leicestershire and the LLR Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCG), the public were asked to share how they were finding the changes. The CCGs published the LLR-wide findings in their July report.

135 people from Rutland shared their thoughts and Healthwatch Rutland’s latest report “Experiences of health and care in Rutland during the Covid-19 lockdown” compares similarities and differences to people’s experiences in neighbouring Leicester and Leicestershire.

Thanks to a Takeover Challenge grant from NHS England, Young Healthwatch Northamptonshire and Northamptonshire Young Carers Service were able to work together with young carers to explore the needs and experiences of young people under the age of 20 who care for someone and help them to make their voices heard.

Last year Northamptonshire County Council commissioned Healthwatch Northamptonshire to find out what changes are needed in the way they provide adult social care. The county council asked to carry the out survey which included looking at people’s experiences of contacting adult social services and getting help, their experiences of the support they received as well as their overall satisfaction with that support.

Young Healthwatch Northamptonshire was commissioned by Public Health Northamptonshire to carry out a review of Personal, Social, Health and Education (PSHE) in Northamptonshire schools. Young Healthwatch Northamptonshire designed a survey that was shared throughout the county’s schools, youth clubs and other youth services to find out young people’s experiences of PSHE lessons. The survey covered how useful the lessons were, the topics that had been taught and what they wanted to learn more about.

A report of the views and experiences of people with a connection to the British Armed Forces living or stationed in Rutland, Harborough or South Kesteven has now been published.

Members of the Armed Forces community (including people serving in the Armed Forces as regulars or reservists, volunteers, ex-forces members (veterans) and family members of past and present service personnel) were asked to tell us more about themselves and their health and social care experiences and needs. Over 700 people responded to a survey developed by Rutland County Council, Harborough District Council, South Kesteven District Council and local Healthwatch.