1. 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.

  2. Dentists : The Tooth Be Told

    Report -

    In 2016 we spoke to 44 people about their experience of going to the dentist.

    In 2017 we wanted to find out what had changed as a result.

  3. Getting NHS Dental care

    Advice and Information -

    What is available on the NHS? What do you have to pay for? How much is it going to cost? These are some of the questions you have asked that our leaflet has the answers to. 

  4. New Emergency Dental Care now available

    News -

    New Urgent Dental Care Centres are being opened to provide emergency dental treatment during the Coronavirus pandemic.

  5. Do you use translation or interpreter services when you go to an NHS appointment?

    News -

    The NHS wants to hear about your experience of using translation or interpreter services when you visit the dentist, pharmacy or optician.

  6. How to get an NHS dentist appointment during COVID-19

    Advice and Information -

    We’ve heard from hundreds of people since the pandemic started with questions about how to get a dentist appointment or emergency dental care.

    Here are some of the answers.

  7. Spotlight on dental services

    Report -

    Since the start of the pandemic, we have had a constant stream of feedback about NHS dental services.

  8. Brushing our teeth – what’s it all about?

    Advice and Information -

    It’s all about stopping plaque and tartar build up on our teeth.

  9. Twin crisis of access and affordability calls for radical rethink of NHS dentistry

    News -

    Healthwatch England warns dental crisis shows no signs of slowing, with four in five people, 80%, struggling to access timely care during the last lockdown.

  10. Are you struggling to get an NHS dentist?

    News -

    You are not alone! More people than ever before have been in touch this month to share their story about finding an NHS dentist and ask for information.

  11. NHS dentistry: We're calling for the Government to invest

    News -

    We have co-signed an open letter addressed to the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak calling for a recovery plan for NHS dentistry.

  12. We're helping people every day

    News -

    Every month, we give support, information and signposting to nearly 2,000 people.

    Every day, we help individual people. This month we helped someone who needed a dental check up before they could start medical treatment.

  13. £6.8million to help tackle the lack of dentist appointments

    News -

    The NHS has today announced emergency funding to help create hundreds of new dentist appointments.

  14. 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.

  15. How does the NHS dental system really work?

    Advice and Information -

    We get more calls about dentistry than anything else. The dental system is complicated so we've chatted to Tim Hogan, a dentist himself and Chair of the Kent & Medway Local Dental Committee to understand more.

  16. Helping people to get dental care

    Report -

    Read how we have helped people to get the dental care that they need

  17. Lack of NHS dental appointments widens health inequalities

    News -

    A new survey of public attitudes to NHS dentistry shows half of adults in the South East find dental charges unfair amid escalating costs of living. 45% of people in the South East told us they struggle to get an NHS dental appointment.

  18. NHS acts on your feedback to improve dental care

    News -

    Hundreds of you have been in touch to tell us your story about NHS dentists. We've been raising your concerns and now the NHS are making changes.

  19. What people have told us about dentistry

    Report -

    This report summarises the feedback received from people via Healthwatch Kent, Healthwatch Medway and Kent and Medway Voice about their experiences of primary care dentistry from November 2022 to April 2023. This includes 34 separate pieces of feedback.

  20. Primary care work

    News -

    In May, Healthwatch England shared their initial response to the Government's Primary Care recovery plan and what it would mean for you and your loved ones.

  21. Our impact in dentistry

    News -

    In June we released out Annual report, which you can download at the bottom of this page. It shows the various ways Healthwatch continues its efforts to ensure the public experience is heard.

  22. 10 top tips to get the most out of your dental appointment

    Advice and Information -

    Everyone should be able to access good quality NHS dental services. Take a look at our top tips to help you get the most out of your next dental appointment.

  23. Jane’s Story: Booking a smear test

    Blog -

    Five million women are invited for a smear test, but 1 in 4 women don't attend their smear test. Why is that? We assume it is because people are worried about the procedure. Could it be in part because people are struggling to get an appointment?

  24. What did people from Folkestone tell us?

    Report -

    Last month we visited Folkestone & Hythe District Council to talk to their staff about their experiences of local health & social care services. We met 230 people in total during our visit.

  25. Spotlight on GP services

    Report -

    Since April 2017 we have heard from 365 people about their experience of GP services in Kent.

    Although we hear lots of positive stories, we've heard 394 negative comments.

  26. 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.

  27. 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.

  28. Spotlight on Learning Disabilities

    Report -

    In the second of a new series of reports, we have highlighted the feedback we’ve heard from people with learning disabilities.

    Everything we have heard from people is included in the report.

  29. Have you struggled to get a GP appointment? Tell us about it!

    News -

    In the news this weekend, we've heard new figures showing that many people struggle to get an appointment with their GP.

  30. 3 alternatives when you can't get GP appointment

    Advice and Information -

    It’s never great when you can’t get a GP appointment in a moment of need

  31. Help shape Urgent Treatment Centres in North Kent

    News -

    Plans are being developed for Urgent Treatment Centres across the UK. The Centres would treat all minor illnesses and injuries for all age groups in one place.

  32. What should happen when GP surgeries close or merge?

    Report -

    Healthwatches across the South East have heard from people who are concerned about their GP surgery either closing or merging.

  33. You have chosen our priorities and we have listened

    News -

    Over 7,800 saw our vote and hundreds of you voted, so thank you!

  34. Commissioners respond to our GP report

    News -

    In March we published a report detailing all the feedback we had heard from Kent residents about GP services.

  35. Urgent care in Dartford, Gravesham & Swanley is going to change. Get involved

    News -

    A formal public consultation has been launched this month to decide the location of a new Urgent Treatment Centre in Dartford, Gravesham & Swanley area.

  36. We hear from children and young people

    Report -

    Children and young people from across Kent & Medway have talked to us about their experience of using health and social care services.

  37. Working with PPG groups

    News -

    This week, we took part in a conference to bring together all the Patient Participation Groups across Kent.

  38. M20 closures!.... There’s no stopping us

    News -

    There was no chance our Helpline team weren't getting to the busy Boughton Monchelsea’s village Community Coffee Morning last Saturday.

  39. State of the Nation by the Care Quality Commission

    News -

    Today the Care Quality Commission have published their State of the Nation report which is their annual assessment of health and social care services across the country.

  40. Have you heard that the Clinical Commissioning Groups are going to merge?

    News -

    Currently in Kent & Medway, we have eight Clinical Commissioning Groups who are responsible for commissioning our health services.
    From April 1st 2020, GPs have voted for all the CCGs to merge into one single Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

  41. Feedback from people with Asthma

    News -

    Today we chatted with people about what it is like to have Asthma and how things could be improved

  42. Talking about End of Life services

    News -

    We recently had the opportunity to chat with a group of Carers about End of Life services in North Kent.

  43. GP Walk In service at Northfleet closes today

    News -

    Today the walk in GP clinic at Northfleet has closed. It’s not new news as the decision was announced some months ago, and is part of plans to create an Urgent Treatment Centre in the area following a public consultation earlier in the year.

  44. Do you live in or near Hextable?

    News -

    Are you a patient at Hextable GP surgery? If so, you are being asked to share your thoughts about the future of Hextable Surgery

  45. Hextable Surgery to become part of Cedars Surgery, Swanley

    News -

    The Hextable Surgery will become a branch of Cedars Surgery, Swanley, on Tuesday 1st September 2020.

  46. Are you registered at New Road GP surgery in Folkestone?

    News -

    The surgery has had to close temporarily after 8 members of staff have tested positive due to Coronavirus.

  47. A vaccine is getting closer

    News -

    The last few days have brought great hope to us all as we've watched the first Kent residents get vaccinated against Coronavirus.

  48. Do you use Orchard surgery in Lydd?

    News -

    The GPs who provide care at Orchard surgery have decided to close the practice from 30th April 2021.

    Are you a patient there? We have the information you need.

  49. Are you a patient at Sheppey Healthcare GP Practice?

    News -

    All patients at Sheppey Healthcare GP practice are being asked to share their thoughts to help inform the future of the practice. Is that you?

  50. Helping people to get registered with a GP

    News -

    Many people come to us because they are struggling to register with a GP near to them. This month we've been able to help two families to get registered.