Tackling COVID-19 together

COVID-19 is a new illness that can affect your lungs and airways. It is caused by a type of coronavirus. By working together we can help to stop the spread of this disease.

Find out about symptoms, who is at risk and how to protect yourself with the latest NHS information and keep up to date with the latest government guidance.

Take our snap survey:

Your local NHS is changing and it needs your help

The Government is investing an extra £20 billion a year in the NHS. Help your local NHS invest in the right support by sharing your ideas and experiences. #WhatWouldYouDo

With growing pressure on the NHS – an ageing population, more people living with long-term conditions, lifestyle choices affecting people’s health – changes are needed to make sure everybody gets the support they need.

The Government is investing an extra £20bn a year in the NHS. The NHS has produced a Long Term Plan, setting out all the things it wants health services to do better for people across the country. This includes: making it easier for people to access support closer to home and via technology, doing more to help people stay well, and providing better support for people with long-term health conditions.

But whilst the national plan has set some clear goals, it’s up to local areas to decide how they’re achieved. Now it’s time for people to have their say and help shape what the delivery of the plan should look like in their communities.

Independent health charity The Kings Fund has produced a helpful guide to understanding the Long Term Plan which can be downloaded here.

We have been listening to your views though our online surveys, focus groups and local events where we asked:

  • What would you do to give people more control of their care?
    – What your local NHS could do to help your community stay well and to make local services better.
  • What would you do to give people better support?
    – You to share your experiences of support for cancer, mental health conditions, heart and lung diseases, long-term conditions such as diabetes and arthritis, learning disabilities, autism, and dementia, and what could make care better.

Healthwatch Dudley has agreed to take on a coordinating role to compile people’s views from across the Black Country and West Birmingham Sustainability and Transformation Partnership (STP) area.  Our final report will influence how the NHS Long Term Plan will be delivered locally.

Let’s talk about self care

Healthwatch Dudley is working with Dudley CCG and Dudley Public Health to find out what local people think and feel about the important topic of self care.  At the beginning of our journey we asked for your help with creating a pack that could kick start lots more conversations  – and here it is!

Self pack cover

Now it’s over to you again.  We would like you to use the pack to chat with people who you know about mental wellbeing, minor ailments, caring, long term conditions or the roles that professionals play in our health and wellbeing.

You can choose one, more or all of these themes, all we ask is that you feed back to us what you talked about so that your thoughts and ideas can help to shape a new self care strategy for Dudley borough.

Download your pack here or get in touch and we can get a printed copy sent out to you.

Then put the kettle on and let’s get talking about self care!

Please let us keep in touch

Create your own user feedback survey

Healthwatch Dudley annual report 2016/17


Healthwatch Dudley Annual report 2016-17 cover

Healthwatch Dudley is award winning!

Healthwatch Dudley is independent and local! We are here to give local people and communities a strong and influential voice in health and care.

Healthwatch Dudley Annual report 2015-16 CoverOur 2015/16 annual report shares some of the highlights of how we are reaching out to thousands of people, to listen to their views and experiences and how our strong evidence based reports are influencing local decision making.  Download our annual report here.

After a busy year, it has been exciting to start our new financial year on a high with being named for two national awards!  The Healthwatch England Network Awards took place last month and out of more than 120 entries Healthwatch Dudley was shortlisted in two categories.  We were delighted to be presented with a Diversity and Inclusion award for our partnership with Dudley Youth Service to inspire young people to become Dudley Youth Health Researchers.

On presenting our award, Paul Redfern, Senior Community Development Manager at the British Deaf Association said: “Healthwatch Dudley has worked hard to ensure that young people get the chance to help shape local health and social care services. Their young researchers have collected the views of 1,100 other young people, which has provided valuable intelligence to share with health and care professionals and helped the young people involved build on their skills. Congratulations, Healthwatch Dudley.”

Making your voice countWe were also received a Highly Commended Health and Social Care Improvement award for involving communities in our activate approach that was developed with Dudley CVS for the All Together Better Partnership.

Find out more about our nominations and about other inspiring stories from across the wider Healthwatch Network.