1. Meet the people using their voice to make a difference to care of others

    News -

    Five people and groups have been shortlisted for a national award that celebrates local people who, through their dedication, have helped improve health and care for their community.

  2. We take your views to Parliament

    News -

    Last week, we travelled to London to join forces with more than 100 fellow local Healthwatch organisations at our annual parliamentary reception.

  3. Spotlight on Gypsy & Traveller communities

    Report -

    Kent has one of the highest populations of Travellers in the UK.

    At Healthwatch Kent we regularly visit Traveller sites to hear directly from the community about the issues they face about health and social care services.

  4. Older People's Forums to get involved in

    Advice and Information -

    Every District in Kent has an established Older Peoples’ Forum and together they have reached thousands of older people in the past year offering information, practical support, advice and friendship.

  5. Focus on Hidden Carers

    Report -

    What's it like being a carer and how much support are you getting? We wanted to make sure people knew what it was like to be a carer in Kent.

  6. We hosted Sir Robert Francis QC

    News -

    Sir Robert became a household name back on 2012 when he lead the independent review into the Mid Staffordshire Hospital scandal.

  7. Safeguarding: How to recognise abuse and neglect

    Advice and Information -

    There are different kinds of abuse and it can happen anywhere. Abuse occurs when someone exploits another person or treats them in a way that harms or hurts them. It can happen once or on multiple occasions.

  8. We are winners!!!

    News -

    We have been recognised as highly commended in the Championing Diversity & Inclusion category at the 2019 Healthwatch Network Awards last night.

  9. All adults with learning disabilities are now being offered the vaccine

    News -

    All adults with learning difficulties are to be offered the Covid vaccine as part of the priority groups.

  10. If you're D/deaf and use East Kent Hospitals, we can help you to get an interpreter

    News -

    D/deaf patients are now being offered a free card that clearly indicates that they need a British Sign Language interpreter when they have an appointment at East Kent hospitals. Get in touch if you want yours.

  11. “I can't ignore the feeling of pride that I enjoy volunteering within this excellent team.”

    News -

    This week we are celebrating!

  12. Help the Non Emergency Patient Transport Service to be better

    News -

    If you need help to attend an NHS appointment, you may have used the Non Emergency Patient Transport Service to help you get there.
    This is a free transport service that is available to some, but not all, patients based on their eligibility.

  13. Giving the Trans & Non-binary community in Kent a voice

    Report -

    For six months we have been working with the Trans & Non-binary community here in Kent listening to their experiences and exploring what could be changed to support them better.

  14. Spotlight on reducing digital exclusion

    Report -

    Many organisations in Kent are working hard to tackle the inequality caused by our increasing reliance on technology. We decided to review one of these projects to see what difference it is really making to people.

  15. Kent NHS trusts not consistently meeting the legal rights of deaf and blind patients to accessible information

    News -

    Local NHS trusts are only partially meeting their legal duty to help people with additional communication needs, new findings show.

  16. Making it easier for people with learning difficulties to attend hospital appointments in East Kent

    Report -

    We've been working with East Kent Hospitals for several years now helping them to make it easier for people with learning difficulties to attend a hospital appointment. Check out what's changed as a result.

  17. What difference have we made this month?

    News -

    A highlight this month has been helping a young pregnant woman, who was homeless, to get the dental care that she needed.

  18. Needing the NHS while out at sea

    Report -

    Being a fisherman is a tough job. It's dangerous with long hours and in difficult conditions. They also work unsociable hours making it hard for fishermen to use public services.

  19. What medical support are you entitled to if you’re new to the UK?

    Advice and Information -

    When people arrive in the UK for the first time, it can be confusing to know where to go if you need medical help. Here we outline your rights as a refugee, where you can access emergency help and how to register for a GP.

  20. Changes to the way homeless people are supported in Kent

    News -

    Kent County Council has recently agreed its budget for 2022/23. It’s been well known that the Council needs to make significant savings this year and that they would have to make tough decisions and one of those is about the homeless service.

  21. We're going to Rise. Are you?

    News -

    We'll be celebrating inclusion for everyone at the Rise Expo on June 22nd. Come and join us!

  22. Helping people who are homeless to see a GP

    News -

    Every day people contact us because they are unable to register with a GP in Kent.

  23. Helping Jane to get a housing review

    News -

    When Jane contacted us, she didn't know what else to do. Her health was getting worse, and she needed a review of her housing.

  24. The needs of children with special educational needs and disabilities are not being met in Kent

    News -

    Inspectors from Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission have published a report which states that the needs of children with special educational needs and disabilities are not being met.

  25. Listening to families of children with disabilities

    Report -

    It's estimated that 6% of people living in Kent are young people who have a disability. Most of them will have experience of using multiple health and social care services.

  26. Evidencing the impact of reducing health inequalities

    Report -

    We know that many many people aren't aware that they may have high blood pressure which could cause a heart attack or a stroke. Read our analysis about a new idea that has been helping people in Medway to mange their own blood pressure.

  27. Supporting joined up and equal social and health care provision and access

    News -

    Healthwatch Kent works to improve the experience of being a Kent resident regarding social needs, health and wellbeing. To do this we support the Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) which are the NHS organisation form that replaced Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) in 2022.

  28. What have we heard at "Big day out event"?

    Report -

    Healthwatch Kent were honoured to be a part of BeYou’s ‘Big Day Out’ event in Maidstone last year.

  29. The Accessible Information Standard - What you can expect from services

    Advice and Information -

    A year ago the Accessible Information Standard came into force. It requires any organisation providing NHS or social care to communicate in a way that everybody can understand. Here's a reminder of what you should expect.

  30. Your vote determines our priorities

    News -

    All this week we are asking people to get involved in our campaign #YourChoiceOurPriority where we give you the power to choose our priorities for the year.
    Over the 7 days we will be asking you to vote for what you think we should prioritise.

  31. Read our annual report

    Report -

    Each year we publish an annual report. Here is the 2018 one!

  32. The Healthwatch Guide to Public Consultations

    Report -

    This guide is intended to support commissioners and service providers to deliver genuine, meaningful public consultations.

  33. Annual Report 2018/19

    Report -

    Another year is over which means a new annual report!

  34. Tell KCC what you think about us

    News -

    We are commissioned by Kent County Council on behalf of the Department of Health. In that role, Kent County Council are keen to hear your feedback about us.

  35. Last chance to have your say

    News -

    Last month we shared a survey from Kent County Council. They commission Healthwatch Kent and they are keen to hear what you think.

  36. Giving thanks to our volunteers

    News -

    Although we can't see our volunteers face to face this week, that doesn't stop us from thanking our Volunteers this Volunteers Week.

  37. Healthwatch Kent Annual Report 2019/20

    Report -

    If you want to know a bit more about us and what we achieved over the past year, then this is the document for you : our annual report for 2019/2020

  38. We've been shortlisted for a national award!!

    News -

    Our work to improve wheelchair services in Kent has been recognised at the national Healthwatch England awards

  39. Celebrating our volunteers all week and every week

    News -

    Our volunteers are our lifeblood. They help us with every aspect of Healthwatch from making decisions about our priorities, listening to patients and ensuring peoples' voices are heard.

  40. What have we achieved this year?

    Report -

    It's been a year that none of us could have predicted. But what have we achieved?

    Read our annual report to find out what difference we made in 2020/21.





  41. How do we make our decisions?

    Report -

    It's important to us that you know how we make our decisions.

    In this section you will find the minutes from our steering group meetings plus an overall explanation about how we make our decisions on a daily basis.

  42. We've been shortlisted for a national award!

    News -

    We've been shortlisted for a national award for the work we've done to help the Nepalese community in Folkestone to get online and access health and social care services.

  43. Celebrating excellence at the Healthwatch Recognition Awards

    News -

    32 people and organisations were winners last night at the prestigious Healthwatch Recognition Awards in Ashford.

  44. Public consultation on Health Based Places of Safety

    News -

    In February 2023, Kent and Medway ICB and Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust (KMPT) launched a public consultation on Health Based Places of Safety. These are the facilities KMPT provides for adults needing emergency care and assessment under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act.