1. News -

    Healthwatch Central West London has today published a response to NHS England’s consultation on the future of Integrated Care Systems

  2. News -

    We are looking for young people between the ages of 16-25 to respond to their consultation on local mental health services.
  3. News -

    Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea have shared an update for parents and carers of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) on the support available during the current lockdown.
  4. News -

    The Grenfell Community Assembly is holding its next virtual meeting on Monday 25 January, at 18:00.
    The Assembly, which is run by Kensington & Chelsea, offers a forum for the Grenfell community to come together and discuss important issues.

  5. News -

    We have published a COVID-19 insight report in collaboration with LEGS. The report highlights the impact of COVID-19 on those who have had a stroke or who are living with a neurological condition.

  6. News -

    In January 2020, we launched our Small Grants Programme – a first of its kind project for our organisation. We wanted to reach people in Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea who find it hardest to be heard in conversations about health and social care. We awarded the recipients of our grant £500 to complete engagement with groups from these communities.
  7. News -

    We are committed to equality, inclusion, and fairness. We are opposed to all forms of racism, discrimination, and prejudice.

  8. News -

    The NHS is currently following a digital first strategy. From GP appointments to physiotherapy, many services are being moved online. Accessing services online is often called ‘digital health’.
  9. News -

    The theme of this year’s report is ‘Then and Now’.  It’s been designed to highlight how our work in 2020-21 has helped local patients, residents, and carers engage with changes to health and social care provision during the pandemic.

  10. News -

    On Saturday 10 July, the Voice Exchange project will be hosting their next virtual drop-in session. This is an open discussion where you can share your thoughts and suggestions about local mental health services in Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea.
  11. News -

    As the NHS moves more services online, we have been speaking to local patients, residents, and carers about how well digital tools work for them
  12. News -

    It has now been over a year since the first nationwide lockdown in the UK. While the UK was facing its biggest public health emergency in a generation, established working practices and patient engagement approaches had to be altered and new ideas had to be put in place. With our office closed, and some of our colleagues working virtually from as far away as Greece and Bulgaria, we had to adapt quickly. In this piece, two members of our team reflect on the last year and what they have learnt.
  13. News -

    On Monday 19th July, the UK Government lifted most COVID-19 restrictions in England. This has been called ‘Freedom Day’ by some people. So, what has changed, and how will this affect hospitals, GP practices, and other health services in Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea?
  14. News -

    We were delighted to work with the Garway Medical Practice Patient Participation Group (PPG) earlier this month to help Garaway patients to understand the issues surrounding General Practice Data for Planning and Research (GPDPR).
  15. News -

    For the past 8 months, we have been carrying out public engagement in collaboration with a range of grassroots partnerships to understand how people have been using health services and healthcare support ‘online’. Using health services in this way is becoming known as Digital Healthcare*.
  16. News -

    In our first ‘in-person’ event after lockdown restrictions eased, we brought together people who receive home care, relatives, unpaid carers, and workers from Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea Councils for a workshop on improving local home care services.
  17. News -

    Imagine a project that not only facilitates conversation and idea-sharing between Healthwatch branches across the country, it also plays an important part in removing barriers that may prevent engagement work with minority ethnic groups and other minority groups…

  18. News -

    Healthwatch Central West London will collaborate with the North West London Schools Research Network to pilot a new student engagement project in schools across North West London.
  19. News -

    Our work is focused on giving local people a voice in health and care; however, we also like to share when our work gets mentioned internationally…
  20. News -

    The vaccine is now being offered to all 12 to 15-year-olds and the NHS will be delivering the vaccination through schools. Schools are contacted with students of this age to arrange a date to vaccinate their students.
  21. News -

    We’ve been hearing from a number of care home residents in Westminster and RBKC about the difficulties they have when trying to access dental care. This got us thinking about how dental care is managed in care homes.
  22. News -

    Healthwatch Hillingdon have launched a survey to find out how local people in North West London have found contacting their GP practice online.
  23. News -

    Alongside this year’s Annual report, we have created an A5 booklet that shares the impact of our work, with a focus on tackling health inequalities and improving local services.
  24. News -

    Over the past two years, collaborating with local groups has become an essential part of our work through our Small Grants Programme. It enables us to connect with people from a range of minority ethnic backgrounds and minority groups.
  25. News -

    On Tuesday 7th December, we held our 2021 Annual Meeting.
    We brought together over 60 members, volunteers, staff, local colleagues, community partners, and members of the public to showcase our work and plan our priorities for the coming year.
  26. News -

    We have published a new report, ‘Accessing Healthcare Digitally’. The report sets out the findings from our recent community engagement on the accessibility of digital healthcare tools. It also contains a comprehensive set of recommendations for service providers, designed to ensure that digital healthcare tools become as accessible and user-friendly as possible.
  27. News -

    Last month we were delighted to continue our relationship with Imperial College London by hosting four third-year medical students for a workshop on health inequalities and the work of local Healthwatch.

  28. News -

    From collaborating with local schools to auditing GP websites, discover how Young Healthwatch is exploring and representing the needs of young people in Kensington & Chelsea.
  29. News -

    Closure of Qwell mental health service on the 31st March, 2024
  30. News -

    We are looking to collect information about residents’ experiences booking and accessing GP appointments across North West London
  31. News -

    The North West London Networked Data Lab are looking for patients and carers to join their Patient and Carer Advisory Group
  32. News -

    The NHS national booking system (NBS) is now open for eligible people to book their spring COVID-19 booster for free, from 22 April until 30 June 2024
  33. News -

    Senior NHS doctors in England have accepted an improved pay deal from the government after months of striking. Read our response.
  34. News -

    Our new data suggests that people are increasingly avoiding booking NHS appointments or taking up prescriptions because of the cost-of-living crisis. Find out more about the support available to help you cover NHS treatment costs
  35. News -

    This year, Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week is taking place between Monday 29 April to Sunday 5 May 2024, with World Maternal Mental Health Day 2024 on Wednesday 1 May
  36. News -

    This year, Deaf Awareness Week will take place from the 6th to the 12th of May, with the theme of Celebrating Love and Trust. The aim of the week is to shed light on the challenges that the deaf community face and educate others on how they can support them.
  37. News -

    We recently hosted a discussion, in partnership with the Advocacy Project, to understand how patients would like to access their GP and allow them to share their experiences.
  38. News -

    Today marks the launch of Mental Health Awareness Week which is taking place from 13 to 19 May, with the theme of “Movement: Moving more for our mental health”
  39. News -

    Every month, we come together with our host organisation The Advocacy Project and Brent Councillor Ketan Sheth to host a topical discussion about building better health equalities. Previous topics have included children and young people's mental health, food inequality and hidden addictions.
  40. News -

    A public consultation evaluation report on the proposed changes to acute mental health services for residents in Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea has recently been published. We have summarised the main findings below.
  41. News -

    The Government has launched a consultation on the NHS Constitution, which sets out your rights as an NHS patient. Read why it's important to have your say.
  42. News -

    There has been an outbreak of measles in North Kensington, and we have collated some information about how you can protect yourself and your children against the disease. Find out more below.