News and reports

In January 2026, we spoke to 47 residents in Allhallows, Cliffe, Cliffe Woods, High Halstow, Isle of Grain and Stoke to find out what life is like in the Upper Peninsula. Residents told us what they like most about their area, what challenges they face, and what they want to see improved.

D/deaf residents and Nepalese communities across Kent and Medway continue to face significant barriers when trying to access their GP. Recent feedback shared with Healthwatch Kent and Healthwatch Medway highlights how communication challenges—combined with the ongoing shift towards digital-first care—are leaving some people without the support they need.
This page shares what we heard, why it matters, and what needs to change.

Between January 2024 and November 2025, Healthwatch Medway spoke to 799 residents across Medway to understand how wider social issues affect health and wellbeing. This report focuses on the 146 individuals who, unprompted, told us their experiences accessing local transport.
Most people we spoke to told us they are struggling with unreliable buses and congested roads, making it harder to get to work, school, and healthcare.

We spoke to 54 residents across Parkwood, Hempstead and Wigmore to understand how where they live affects their health and wellbeing. People shared what they value about their area, what concerns them, and what they feel would make the biggest difference to their daily lives. This report brings together their views to help local services better understand community needs. The findings will inform our wider “Building Blocks of Life” series exploring how Medway’s places shape people’s health.

We spoke to 48 people living in Chatham to understand how their environment affects their health and wellbeing. Residents told us what they value in their area, what worries them, and what would help them live healthier lives. This work forms part of our Building Blocks of Life series exploring how Medway’s neighbourhoods shape everyday experiences. The findings will be shared with local services to help improve life for people across Medway. This page highlights what we heard.

Every day across Medway, thousands of people step in to care for someone they love. They support partners, parents, children, friends and neighbours — often without recognition, without pay, and without a break.
We spoke to 45 carers to understand what life is really like behind the closed doors of our caring community. Here’s what they told us.

We spoke with 40 Rainham residents to understand how where they live affects their health and wellbeing. This is part of our Building Blocks of Life series exploring the wider factors that shape people’s daily lives. Residents shared what they love about their area, the challenges they face, and the changes they’d like to see. Their voices will help health and care services, as well as local partners, make improvements across Medway. This webpage summarises what we heard.

We spoke to 38 people living in Lordswood and Walderslade to understand how their local area affects their health and wellbeing. This report is part of our 2025 Building Blocks of Life series, which explores the wider factors that shape daily life across Medway. Residents shared what they value about their community, as well as what makes life more challenging. The findings highlight clear strengths, alongside opportunities for improvement. This webpage summarises what we heard.

Healthwatch Medway spoke to 55 Strood residents in June 2025 to understand how living in the area impacts their health and wellbeing. This is part of a wider series exploring Medway communities.

Healthwatch Medway spoke to 27 Rochester residents in May 2025 to understand how living in the area impacts their health and wellbeing. This is part of a wider series exploring Medway communities.

From September 2024, we started to receive more feedback on people’s experiences of mental health crisis support. This emerged from what people told us through Mental Health Voice, Healthwatch Kent and Healthwatch Medway without any targeted prompts for mental health crisis. To understand what people were telling us, we identified and analysed 489 related experiences from January 2024 to February 2025.

Mental health is just as important as physical health—it’s vital to look after our minds as well as our bodies to stay fit and well. While Christmas is often seen as a time of joy, it can also be difficult for some of us. Feelings of stress, loneliness, or grief can become more intense during the festive season.
That’s why we’ve put together a helpful guide to services that remain open throughout the holidays. If you need support, there are people and organisations ready to listen and help—day or night