1. Learn about the new commissioning structures in health and care

    Advice and Information -

    Following several years of locally-led development, Integrated Care Systems were established across England on a statutory basis on 1 July 2022

  2. How can you save money on your Hormone Replacement Therapy?

    Advice and Information -

    A new scheme could see women across England save hundreds of pounds yearly on their Hormone Replacement Therapy with a prepayment certificate.

  3. Celebrating the work of Healthwatch with diverse communities.

    Blog -

    Yussuf Ahmed is the Coordinator at Islington Somali Community, an organisation belonging to our Diverse Communities Health Voice partnership. In this guest blog, Yussuf talks about the benefits of the collaboration.

  4. How do I get a fit note?

    Advice and Information -

    Since July 2022, nurses, occupational therapists, pharmacists and physiotherapists have been able to legally certify and issue a statement of fitness for work, informally known as a ‘fit note’. Previously only GPs or hospital doctors could issue fit notes. Find out what a fit note is, when you might need one and how to go about getting one.

  5. Have your say on eye surgery proposals for North Central London

    News -

    Have you recently received eye surgery services or are you going through the process now? The NHS in North Central London is seeking feedback on proposed changes to where some patients have planned eye surgery.

  6. Urgent and emergency care in North London

    Report -

    Local Healthwatch from Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey and Islington organised surveys, focus groups and interviews to find out what people thought of existing services and to get ideas on how to make services better.

  7. Islington Reablement Service

    Report -

    The reablement service supports people to regain independence following a period of ill-health, usually involving a stay in hospital.

  8. What you've told us about the reablement service

    News -

    We carried out phone interviews with 29 people to find out if they thought reablement had worked for them.

  9. Long waits for appointments for community health services can affect health, say local residents

    News -

    Healthwatch asked Islington residents using services like podiatry, physiotherapy, and district nursing to share their views about waiting times.

  10. How well do local health and care services support the needs of people with autism?

    Report -

    Throughout the Autumn of 2016 we spoke with Islington residents with Autism Spectrum Condition, and with their families.

  11. Black and minority ethnic groups accessing services in Islington 2016/17

    Report -

    207 local residents gave us their views on pharmacy, lifestyle and well-being, A&E, interpreting services, and GP referrals.

  12. Emergency department, general practice, or pharmacy services?

    Report -

    A number of people use hospital emergency departments when they could be seen by a GP or in their local pharmacy. What factors influence how we decide where we need to be seen?

  13. Black and minority ethnic groups accessing services in Islington 2015/16

    Report -

    Local residents gave us their views on hospital appointments and patient choice, GP services, and keeping fit and healthy.

  14. Mystery shopping: Healthcare Travel Costs

    Report -

    Healthwatch mystery shoppers phoned GP surgeries and visited local hospitals to see how easy it was to make a claim for reimbursement under the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme.

  15. Experiences of the Integrated Care Ageing Team Service

    Report -

    We carried out interviews with residents, relatives and staff in local care homes.

  16. Experiences of Deaf service-users in local hospitals

    Report -

    Deaf service users raised a range of concerns about experiences in local hospitals.

  17. Moorfields Eye Hospital - Enter and View visits

    Report -

    Over a two week period in September 2018 we conducted three visits to Moorfields Eye Hospital on City Road.

  18. Moorfields Eye Hospital gets a big thumbs up from outpatients

    News -

    Healthwatch volunteers visited Moorfields Eye Hospital three times last year to speak to outpatients.

  19. Talking to patients using health centres in Islington

    News -

    Healthwatch volunteers from London Metropolitan University have carried out over 80 interviews with patients accessing community services like podiatry, physiotherapy, and blood testing.

  20. Whittington Hospital Enter and View visits

    Report -

    We visited the Imaging Department, and the Fracture and Antenatal Clinics. We asked outpatients about the information they had been sent ahead of their appointment. We also asked them how easy it was find their way around the hospital.

  21. We asked outpatients at the Whittington whether they felt the hospital provided good information about their appointments.

    News -

    We visited the Imaging Department, and the Fracture and Antenatal Clinics. Most people felt the hospital was doing a good job, but there was still some room for improvement.

  22. How we helped one elderly patient regain access to hospital transport services

    News -

    Islington patient with long term health conditions makes good use of our information and signposting service.

  23. NHS Long Term Plan

    Report -

    Local Healthwatch from Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey and Islington organised surveys, focus groups and interviews to find out what people thought of existing NHS services and to get ideas on how to make services better.

  24. Six ways health services can improve waiting rooms

    Advice and Information -

    Here are six steps that people have told us health and social care services can take to provide a better environment while they wait.

  25. Do you need help travelling to NHS services?

    Advice and Information -

    Find out what support is available to help you when travelling to your GP, hospital or other NHS services.

  26. What makes for a good text reminder?

    News -

    Increasingly, health providers will text us a reminder ahead of our appointments to help us remember them. We like these reminders, but do we always get all the information we need?

  27. Local residents report difficulties booking patient transport services

    News -

    Call waiting times are unacceptable, and some carers report being refused permission to accompany elderly relatives.

  28. Vulnerable service users are no longer routinely being offered patient transport for hospital appointments and community health services

    News -

    Although eligibility rules have not changed, changes in how those rules are being applied mean that care home residents have been refused patient transport since DHL took over the contract in September.

  29. Cancer and coronavirus

    Advice and Information -

    If you have cancer, it’s understandable you might feel anxious about COVID-19. The Government and the NHS have both confirmed that cancer treatment should continue to be prioritised as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic

  30. Presentations and Q&A from the ‘Accessing services as we come out of lockdown’ event

    Report -

    Meeting notes

  31. Have you left hospital during COVID-19? Tell us your experience

    News -

    To respond to coronavirus, local hospitals serving Islington residents had to quickly change. Tell us how this has affected the care you or your loved one has received. 

  32. What can you expect when you’re discharged from hospital?

    Advice and Information -

    The usual processes the NHS follows to discharge you from hospital have changed during the coronavirus pandemic. Here’s what you can expect when it’s time to leave hospital.

  33. The impact of Covid-19: Community feedback on life during lockdown

    Report -

    We surveyed 200 local residents, 180 of whom were from migrant communities. We asked them about their experiences of lockdown, and of the coronavirus pandemic more broadly.

  34. The NHS is open: Whittington Health talk to us about hospital appointments and visits

    News -

    Whittington Health shared ways in which their services have changed to ensure patient and staff safety during this pandemic.

  35. Islington residents tell us what they think about remote health appointments

    Blog -

    Although more face-to-face appointments will be available once the pandemic is over, video and phone consultations are likely here to stay. We can help services understand the impact of this change by sharing our feedback.

  36. What to expect when waiting for care

    Advice and Information -

    Waiting for planned medical care or surgery can be a frustrating time. That’s why it’s so important that while you wait, you get regular, clear and accessible updates so that you can plan your next steps.

  37. Islington care homes: experiences of accessing health services for residents

    Report -

    We asked care home managers about access to health services for their residents.

  38. Your questions about community physiotherapy answered

    News -

    Speakers from Whittington Health Community Services and the Islington GP Federation answered questions about community-based physio services in Islington.

  39. What medical support are you entitled to if you’re new to the UK?

    Advice and Information -

    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.

  40. Hearing conditions and hearing loss

    Advice and Information -

    12 million people in the UK have hearing loss, around 4.4million are of working age.

  41. Find out about high blood pressure

    Advice and Information -

    One in five people in Islington have high blood pressure but only half know that they do. Left untreated, high blood pressure can lead to heart attack and stroke. The only way to find out whether you have high blood pressure is to get it measured.

  42. What is a GP referral and how can you get one?

    Advice and Information -

    When you need specialist NHS support, like hospital tests or treatment, you often need a referral from your GP first. Find out what this includes and what to expect.

  43. Choose the right NHS service for you and your family

    News -

    The Royal College of Nursing has announced that members will take strike action from Sunday 30 April to Monday 1 May 2023.