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Advice and Information -
Health issues unfortunately don't leave us alone at the weekend and people are often in need of medical assistance out of hours. Using NHS guidelines, we have provided some advice and information on where you can go for help when your GP is closed. -
Report -
This pharmacy operate ‘Pharmacy First’ which means the team can give clinical and practical medical advice or over-the-counter medicines to help safely manage minor health issues such as: sore throats, coughs, colds, tummy troubles, teething problems and aches and pains. -
Report -
Al-Shafa Pharmacy is a dispensing chemist providing a service for local people. -
Report -
Sidhu Pharmacy
369 High Street
West Bromwich
West Midlands
B70 9QL
A visit was planned but the Owner refused the visit – no explanation given. -
Report -
Pharmacy 365 Churchv View is a dispensing chemist providing a service for local people. -
Report -
The purpose of the visit was to observe the environment and explore first-hand with customers their experiences of using Duggals Chemist.
HWS wanted to find out customers’ experiences of the pharmacy service, this included why they visit the pharmacy and what support they get from the pharmacy including and how they are treated.
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News -
The Pharmacy First service is available for patients registered with practices in the Black Country and West Birmingham.
If you are exempt from prescription charges then you can access this service which gives you over-the-counter medicines rather than you needing to see a GP to receive the medication on a free prescription. -
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Healthwatch Sandwell have a legal power (Health and Social Care Act 2012) for Authorised Representatives to visit health and social care services and see them in action. This power to Enter and View services offers a way for Healthwatch to meet some of their statutory functions and allows them to identify what is working well with services and where they could be improved. -
News -
Healthwatch Sandwell (HWS) have the power to visit health and social care services, where health and social care is publicly funded and delivered. This power to Enter and View services offers a way for HWS to meet some of their statutory functions and to collect evidence of what works well. HWS use this evidence to make recommendations to commissioners and providers of health and social care services and to inform changes both for individual services as well as system wide and to improve people’s experiences. -
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Healthwatch Sandwell is your local health and social care champion. We make sure NHS leaders and decision makers hear your voice and use your feedback to improve care. We can also help you to find reliable and trustworthy information and advice.
Over the past year we have published 22 reports, engaged with 2,043 people and visited six towns of Sandwell delivering our Guided By You workshops. -
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Take a look at this months Insight Report, which will give you a snap shot of what our team have been doing during July. -
Report -
Healthwatch Sandwell Insight Report - September 2023
Take a look at what the team have been doing during September! -
Report -
You might remember our Guided By You tour where we held six workshops in six Towns around Sandwell. We visited each Town and spoke to local people about their priorities. We have collated the comments and suggestions from people in each town, this information is now ready in our Guided By You report which is not live!
Want to see what people in your local area are saying? Use the download button below to see what people are saying in your area. -
Report -
The Department of Foot Health cares for a wide range of foot and lower limb problems amongst the population of Sandwell and West Birmingham community, with the primary focus on preventative care to minimise the risk of complications which are associated with, but are not exclusive to, diabetes. A number of specialist clinics are provided, tailored to the needs of each patient. These include: nail surgery, neurological foot service, biomechanics, diabetic foot care and specialist wound care management, rheumatology, podopaediatric clinics and Peripheral Arterial Disease. -
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Information for our Health Advisory Board Meeting to be held 4th July 2023. -
News -
Ideas Made Real is for young people aged 16-24 to turn their social action projects and community ideas into reality. Each successful young person will receive an award of up to £8,000 and expert support from United By 2022’s youth team to bring their project to life. Whether it's addressing homelessness, promoting mental health awareness, or improving their surroundings, Ideas Made Real is designed by young people, for young people. Ideas Made Real is part of our GEN22 programme and last year’s projects won a national award.
To celebrate the West Midlands turning 50 this year, Ideas Made Real will hand the reins over to young people to create lasting impacts in their neighbourhood, their community and their home. If you have ever felt that no-one is doing anything about an issue that you care about, then this is for you. Previous participants say that Ideas Made Real made them feel confident and connected, and proud they made a difference for a community important to them, or in the place they call home. -
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Here are our January Insights from the Healthwatch Sandwell Team!
Click the link below to see what we have been doing. -
Report -
Healthwatch Sandwell is an independent organisation that champions the voice of Sandwell residents in their health and social care services. Experiences and insight gathered from engaging and listening to people is shared with health and social care providers and commissioners to help inform and improve services.
Successful management of living with diabetes and reducing associated health risks requires patient and health care services to work together. NHS healthcare services have a responsibility to ensure patients are offered diabetes management education, so that they are well informed and able to be involved in managing their condition and decisions about their care, including medications. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance also recommends an individualised approach, is required to meet any patients’ needs and circumstances including dietary advice, culture and beliefs.
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Report -
This report will provide an overview of the Enter and View visits conducted between April 2023 and March 2024. This will include visits to support services related to diabetes however, the visit to Harvest View, 28 Harvest Rd, Rowley Regis will not be included as it will be a standalone report.
Enter and View programme focused on Patient’s experiences of support services related to diabetes e.g. diabetes clinics, phlebotomy, retinal screening services (at hospital eye clinics and opticians etc), foot clinics and urology. There were a range of these services (22 venues approx.) A sample of Clinics were visited to ensure that the 6 towns were covered – see appendix 1. Some sites offer a range of these services so some visits were combined. -
Report -
Here is a snapshot of what the team have been doing in March! -
Advice and Information -
If you are experiencing or feel at risk of domestic abuse, or are worried about someone who might be, find out where you can go for advice and help. -
Advice and Information -
Find out the signs and symptoms of monkeypox, what to do if you think you have it and who is eligible for a vaccine. -
Report -
The majority of the last year has been spent on setting up the new Healthwatch Sandwell organisation and establishing its partnerships and presence. -
Report -
We have continued to develop ways of engaging with all local people and groups in Sandwell, and the following provides some examples. -
Report -
We have published several reports throughout the year capturing patients’ issues and concerns. -
Report -
Healthwatch Sandwell has continued to be a key partner for NHS Sandwell and West Birmingham CCG over the past year. -
Report -
A large part of Healthwatch Sandwell’s role is to represent the patient voice and work in partnership with health and social care commissioners and providers. -
Report -
The work that Healthwatch Sandwell has undertaken over the last year was driven by the determination to make a difference and this report highlights where we have achieved this. For example:
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Report -
Healthwatch Sandwell often hears from patients saying that it is very difficult to get an appointment at a GP Surgery. -
Report -
We have recently carried out a survey to find out people's preferences when booking an appointment with their GP and how to book. -
Report -
In June and July 2017 Healthwatch Sandwell (HWS) carried out an investigation into the public’s awareness of where flu vaccinations could be obtained, and if they had chosen not to, why not -
Report -
Healthwatch Sandwell (HWS) are conducting a survey of all General Practitioner (GP) Practices to find out their patient's and visitors' knowledge, awareness, and involvement in each practice’s Patient Participation Group (PPG). -
Report -
Health Overview Scrutiny Committees (HOSC) are statutory Local Authority bodies with the duty to oversee NHS services. -
Report -
This investigation is a follow-up to the earlier Healthwatch Sandwell (HWS) reports published in July and October 2017 which made four recommendations to improve the service. -
Report -
Healthwatch Sandwell (HWS) are conducting a survey of all General Practitioner (GP) Practices to find out their patients’ and visitors’ knowledge, awareness and involvement in each practice’s Patient Participation Group (PPG). -
Report -
Healthwatch Sandwell (HWS) are conducting a survey of all General Practitioner (GP) Practices to find out their patients’ and visitors’ knowledge, awareness and involvement in each practice’s Patient Participation Group (PPG). -
Report -
Healthwatch Sandwell (HWS) are conducting a survey of all General Practitioner (GP) Practices to find out their patients’ and visitors’knowledge, awareness and involvement in each Practice’s Patient Participation Group (PPG). -
Report -
This project aimed to ascertain patients’ awareness of their local PPG and to find out if patients are involved in their local PPG and if they have received any information about it. -
Report -
Healthwatch Sandwell (HWS) visited Sandwell General Hospital (SGH), Rowley Regis Hospital (RRH) and City Hospital (CH) to evaluate how effective the Purple Points Initiative (PPI) is and to ascertain whether patients and carers are aware of the initiative. -
Report -
When deaf patients persevere with the consultation without a BSL interpreter it invariably results in misinformation and then misdiagnosis. -
Report -
The target population in this project were homeless people in Sandwell. Homelessness has a number of guises, for the purpose of the project HWS engaged with those: -
Report -
This project engaged with young people through the use of a survey and a series of focus groups. -
Report -
During the period July – September 2020 Healthwatch Sandwell has collated patient experiences. In addition, we have received service user experiences/feedback via our web-based ‘Feedback Centre’ and since its inception in July 2019 we have received over 220 experiences/comments shared across NHS and Social Care Services. -
Report -
HWS in partnership with SDCA have created a focus group for deaf and hard of hearing people to share their health and social care experiences in Sandwell. Please find attached our report following a focus group held on the 22nd of September 2020. -
Report -
This report looks at the patient experience of using digital technology in primary care services in Sandwell. In 2019 Sandwell ranked as the 12th most deprived local authority area nationally for indices of multiple deprivations. -
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During the period January to March 2021, Healthwatch Sandwell has collated patient experiences. These are sourced from: phone contact with residents/patients, focus groups we facilitate, focus groups we attend, local online forums and service user groups. In addition, we have received service user experiences/feedback via our web-based ‘Feedback Centre’ and since its inception in July 2019 we have received over 274 experiences/comments shared across NHS and Social Care Services. -
Report -
Throughout the year a total of 9 Youth Healthwatch volunteers have been recruited and attending regular meetings. -
Report -
During the period April to June 2021, Healthwatch Sandwell has collated patient experiences. These are sourced from phone contact with residents/patients, focus groups we facilitate, focus groups we attend, local online forums, and service user groups and service user experiences/feedback via our web-based ‘Feedback Centre’.
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Report -
Our Healthwatch activities involve signposting the public to relevant support agencies to assist them with their concerns. -
Report -
We heard from a person who was concerned as their consultant had requested a referral from the GP for further treatment and this had not been actioned by the GP.