1. How much do you know about Ovarian Cancer?

    Advice and Information -

    Here are some facts about ovarian cancer:

  2. When is getting old, not just getting old?

    Advice and Information -

    So many of us put memory loss down to old age; but that’s not always true.

  3. You probably don’t know if you have high blood pressure

    Advice and Information -

    High blood pressure (which is also known as hypertension) rarely has noticeable symptoms; so if you have it, you’re unlikely to realise it.
    But if untreated, it increases your risk of serious problems such as heart attacks and strokes.

  4. What to watch for in your health and community this month

    Advice and Information -

    Each May multiple awareness raising campaigns are running, some focused on specific weeks or days.

     

  5. 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.

  6. What to watch for in your health and community this month

    Advice and Information -

    Each June multiple awareness raising campaigns are running, some focused on specific weeks or days.

  7. NHS Prescription Prepayment Certificate (PPC)

    Advice and Information -

    A PPC could save you money if you pay for your NHS prescriptions.
    The certificate covers all your NHS prescriptions for a set price. You will save money if you need more than 3 items in 3 months, or 11 items in 12 months.

  8. What have we achieved this year?

    Report -

    19,714 people came to us for clear advice and information about topics such as mental health and the cost-of-living crisis.

  9. What do you really know about Neurodiversity?

    Advice and Information -

    Increasing understanding of neurodiversity and autism.

  10. The voices of Windrush

    Advice and Information -

    A Windrush Day flag raising was hosted in Dartford to mark Windrush Day and the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the SSE Windrush. Organised by the North Kent Caribbean Network (NKCN) working in partnership with Cohesion Plus and Dartford Borough Council, the event took place on Monday 19th June.

  11. We run a signposting and information service, but what difference does it make and how do we support people?

    Report -

    1167 people contacted our information and signposting service in the past year. 243 of these people across Kent and Medway told us how they had been impacted by our information and signposting service.

  12. What people have told us about pharmacy

    Report -

    This report summarises the feedback received from people via Healthwatch Kent, Healthwatch Medway and Kent and Medway Voice about their experiences of pharmacies from November 2022 to April 2023.

  13. What people have told us about general practice

    Report -

    This report presents the feedback received from people via Healthwatch Kent, Healthwatch Medway and Kent and Medway Voice about their experiences of general practice from November 2022 to April 2023.

  14. 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.

  15. 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.

  16. What to watch for in your health and community this month

    Advice and Information -

    Each September multiple awareness raising campaigns are running, some focused on specific weeks or days.

  17. Understanding Care Homes near you

    Report -

    Having concluded our visits to 15 Care Homes across Kent & Medway talking to residents, their families and staff about the Enhanced Health in Care Home programme we have now completed our stakeholder facing report and have now shared our findings with Aging Well.

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

    News -

    Healthwatch Medway work to improve the experience of being a Medway resident regarding social needs, health and wellbeing.

  19. 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.

  20. What to watch for in your health and community this month

    Advice and Information -

    Each October multiple awareness raising campaigns are running, some focused on specific weeks or days.

  21. Helping you understand and shape your experience of Integrated Care

    Advice and Information -

    The ICB have published various priorities within their interim strategy.

  22. Addressing wider determinants of health

    Advice and Information -

    The wider determinants of health are a diverse range of social, economic and environmental factors which influence people’s mental and physical health.

  23. How Healthwatch addresses Health inequalities

    News -

    Healthwatch has adopted a more structured approach to help those most affected by differences in the provision of and access to health and social care.

  24. A wedge approach to tackling health inequalities: Women’s Health

    Advice and Information -

    Earlier this year Healthwatch England published it’s position on Women’s Health. They outlined what they were calling for to improve and tackle health inequalities for women.

  25. What people have told us about community pharmacies in Medway

    Report -

    On the last Friday of July 2023, we hit the streets of Chatham and chatted with 81 of our residents who shared their thoughts with us, in the high street and right outside the local pharmacies.

  26. How to stay well this winter

    Advice and Information -

    Tips to help you stay well this winter and get the care you need.

  27. What is menopause and what are the signs?

    Advice and Information -

    With more than thirty recognised symptoms of menopause and growing
    awareness of the impact on day-to-day life, knowing what to look out
    for and what support is available can help you.

  28. What is SAD, and how can you manage it?

    Advice and Information -

    Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression triggered by seasonal changes. One in twenty people in the UK are diagnosed with the condition, with men more likely to be diagnosed with SAD than women.

  29. What to watch for in your health and community this month- November

    Advice and Information -

    Each November multiple awareness raising campaigns are running, some focused on specific weeks or days.

  30. Accessibility to healthcare can vary significantly based on the needs of the individual.

    News -

    Stammer is one of the biggest challenges in accessing healthcare services. 

  31. Stammer is one of the biggest challenges in accessing healthcare services. 

    Advice and Information -

    People with stammers face a variety of challenges in accessing healthcare services. In the UK a survey showed 1.8% of people have stammer.

  32. Are you a carer? Are you getting the help and support available? 

    News -

    In the UK it is believed seven million people are voluntarily providing care and/or support to family and/or friends. And that many of these are either not accessing or are not aware of the help and support available to them. 

  33. What barriers women report to experience when accessing healthcare?

    News -

    Women have a wide variety of experiences when accessing healthcare. However, a majority of women found that healthcare professionals were not listening or respecting them. There are several reasons that have been reported for these issues.

  34. 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.

  35. Are you struggling to feel positive about Christmas? Are you going to be alone for Christmas? 

    Advice and Information -

    While for many of us Christmas is a time for celebration and spending time with our loved ones, sadly that is not the case for all of us.