News and reports

"So many don’t talk about menopause- they bury their head and suffer in silence": We report on women's experiences of menopause and recommend improvements to services in Milton Keynes.

For new arrivals to the UK it can be confusing where to go if you need medical assistance. Here we outline your rights as a refugee, where you can access emergency help and how to register for a GP.

People with little or no English struggle at all points of their healthcare journey. New Healthwatch research shines a light on barriers and delays to care they often experience and calls for equal access for all.

All our Board of Trustees minutes are publicly available. Read the minutes from the November 2021 Board of Trustees meeting.

New research shows that many NHS trusts are not meeting their legal duty to help people with additional communication needs.

As part of the Healthwatch 'Your Care, Your Way' campaign, we have set out five headline recommendations to help health and care services ensure that people who have communication needs are given their healthcare information in the way they need it.

Between September and November 2021, Healthwatch England submitted a Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to over 200 National Health Service (NHS) provider trusts to gather details on compliance with the Accessible Information Standard.

So you can take part in our campaign Your Care, Your Way, we have created our survey in several alternative formats, including Easy Read.

Everyone should be given healthcare information in the way they need it. Clear, understandable information is important to help you make decisions about your health and care and get the most out of services.

We joined forces with Parents and Carers Alliance MK (PACA MK) to investigate the experiences of families using CAMHS and Mental Health support for children and young people with autism and special educational needs.

Millions of women in the UK go through the menopause each year, with the majority experiencing 'symptoms that can be severe and have a negative impact on everyday life'.

The Accessible Information Standard is mandatory for all organisations that provide NHS or adult social care. Here’s some key information about the accessible communications you should expect from services.