1. Home care services are not meeting expectations

    Response -

    Sadly, we were not surprised to read in the Islington Tribune that regulators found home care services to be lower quality than we should expect.

  2. Our response to plans to transform mental health services in Camden and Islington

    Response -

    The plans include moving inpatient facilities from St Pancras Hospital to a site behind the Whittington Hospital, and building two new community mental health hubs, one in Camden and one in Islington.

  3. Our position on Patient Transport Services

    Response -

    We'd like to see clearer eligibility criteria, and better access to the service for patients with communication support needs.

  4. Our response to the consultation on changes to North Central London Orthopaedic Services

    Response -

    The clinical case for change seems clear. We also welcome the introduction of care coordinators to support patients with disabilities, autism, dementia or learning disabilities.

  5. Our position on digital inclusion

    Response -

    Digital can be for anyone, but it isn’t for everyone.

  6. Health and care services accessible to all

    Response -

    By not making our services inclusive we deny access to people who are entitled to health and social care support, and we unintentionally discriminate.

  7. We respond to the NHS England consultation on the eligibility criteria for non-emergency patient transport

    Response -

    We continue to hear reports from residents that the Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service doesn’t work well for them. Lack of clarity in the wording of eligibility criteria creates ambiguity, confusion, and unfairness.

  8. North Central London Fertility Services Review

    Response -

    Healthwatch Islington is pleased that the new fertility policy for North Central London will follow the guidance produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

  9. Let's Talk Inequality

    Response -

    Islington is a borough of stark inequalities. We want to see services and support designed around the needs of those residents experiencing this inequality.

  10. Our one-to-one digital support programme is coming to an end

    Response -

    A challenging funding environment means we are no longer able to offer one-to-one support for digital beginners.

  11. Our response to proposed changes to maternity and neonatal services in North Central London

    Response -

    This is a joint response and comes from Healthwatch Islington and Islington Somali Community.

  12. Recognition for our approach to volunteering

    News -

    Healthwatch Islington has achieved the Investing in Volunteers Quality Standard for good practice in volunteer management.

  13. Transforming Mental Health Services in Camden and Islington

    News -

    Camden and Islington Clinical Commissioning Groups are consulting on the proposed redevelopment of Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust‘s St Pancras Hospital site.

  14. How you've made a difference to ADHD services

    News -

    Islington's Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder service for adults is making more support available more quickly.

  15. 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.

  16. How do our GP practices make their services accessible?

    News -

    Our volunteers visited all the GP practices in the borough to get a sense of how easy it is for them to meet the Accessible Information Standard.

  17. 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.

  18. Helping local residents from refugee and migrant communities use their smartphones to stay healthy

    News -

    An innovative partnership to improve wellbeing launched yesterday.

  19. Women at the Islington Bangladesh Association are using their smartphones to stay healthy

    News -

    Women who participated in the Log On project told us what they have learned.

  20. Community feedback on Personal Health Budgets

    News -

    A Personal Health Budget allows patients with long term health conditions to take greater control of their healthcare and support.

  21. The walk in service at Ritchie Street gets good reviews from patients

    News -

    We interviewed 48 patients using the walk in service at the Ritchie Street Health Centre.

  22. Local organisations publish joint report showing how their communities experience health services

    News -

    Diverse Communities Health Voice gathers the views of black and minority ethnic communities that don't speak English as a first language.

  23. Local residents talk to us about hip and knee replacement surgery

    News -

    We visited St Luke's Community Centre in south Islington to hear what people thought about plans to improve how hip and knee replacements are offered in the future.

  24. What is the future of adult social care?

    News -

    The social care system is under huge pressure. What does the future hold?

  25. Volunteers from London Metropolitan University are visiting local health centres on behalf of Healthwatch

    News -

    We're asking patients using services like podiatry and physiotherapy whether they find it easy to book their appointments.

  26. Women from the Islington Somali Community are using their phones to support their wellbeing

    News -

    Women who participated in the Log On project tell us how their smartphones are helping them to feel connected.

  27. 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.

  28. Seven things Deaf patients told us about GP services

    News -

    We held a focus group with Deaf patients in December 2108. We discussed GP services broadly. We also gathered views on urgent and same day services in particular.

  29. 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.

  30. Talking to even more patients at the walk in centre on Ritchie Street

    News -

    The Health and Care Scrutiny Committee asked for more information on how changes to the way urgent appointments are accessed would affect patients currently using the walk in centre.

  31. 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.

  32. Healthwatch Islington is recruiting a Treasurer

    News -

    Get involved with Healthwatch Islington

  33. 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.

  34. We asked residents, relatives and staff what they thought about the activities offered in local care homes

    News -

    Our volunteers have visited six care homes and nursing homes across the borough. They spoke to residents, their carers and relatives, and to staff.

  35. Local maternity project has helped refugee and migrant women to improve their physical health and mental wellbeing

    News -

    Maternity mentors have helped refugee and migrant women during pregnancy and early parenthood to access appropriate services and information, and overcome language and cultural barriers.

  36. Healthwatch Islington bids farewell to two directors

    News -

    Directors Rose McDonald and Shelagh Prosser have stepped down from the Board at the end of their terms of office.

  37. Jana Witt is the new Chair of Healthwatch Islington

    News -

    Jana works as a Programme Manager in the healthcare sector and has a strong interest in promoting patient choice.

  38. Helping to make Islington GP surgeries more autism friendly

    News -

    Mystery shopping by Healthwatch volunteers and feedback from local residents has led to improvements in service design.

  39. Helping local community groups give residents good information about health services

    News -

    Health information workshops are helping communities that don't have English as a first language to access services for conditions such as diabetes and stroke.

  40. Speaking to residents who have been affected by memory loss, from Islington's Greek and Somali speaking communities

    News -

    As part of our work on the NHS Long Term Plan, we've been looking at dementia services.

  41. Feedback on maternity services at the Whittington Hospital

    News -

    Whittington Health is planning how best to deliver services in the future. To help with this, they asked us to speak to local residents about a range of issues.

  42. People with learning disabilities give their views on emergency care

    News -

    Whittington Health is planning how best to deliver services in the future. To help with this, they asked us to speak to local residents about a range of issues.

  43. Local students share their thoughts on how a wellbeing service for young people should look

    News -

    We worked with students aged 16 to 18 from City and Islington College to design a wellbeing project for young people. Then we took the students to meet commissioners and share ideas.

  44. NHS funded social prescribing and navigation services are not reaching migrant communities in Islington

    News -

    Residents that don't have English as a first language are not using NHS commissioned social prescribing and navigation services. Community organisations are having to bridge this gap.

  45. Social prescribing in action: how Islington Bangladesh Association supports clients who struggle to access health and care services

    News -

    Social prescribing is a means by which people can be referred to non-clinical activities designed to support health and wellbeing.

  46. Social prescribing in action: helping refugees from East Africa and other Arabic speakers

    News -

    Social prescribing is a means by which people can be referred to non-clinical activities designed to support health and wellbeing.