News and reports

We conducted Enter & View visits to six GP surgeries as part of our research into access to GP services.

All six of the GP surgeries we visited responded positively to the feedback from patients and have committed to making changes.

A chance encounter in Brierley Hill town centre led to Healthwatch Dudley working with Wellington Road Community Centre to support the health and wellbeing of the elderly Asian community.

The team worked with Midland Heart Housing Association, to establish a monthly breakfast club at Saltbrook Place, a provider of supported housing. We listened to the experiences of the residents to explore the support needed.

There is a worrying over-representation of minority ethnic young boys in the Youth Justice System (YJS) in Dudley. The Dudley Youth Justice Service Management Board asked us to explore the issue further.

We reached out to Social Prescribers from different areas within the borough so they could share their views about their service.

Our annual report celebrates 10 years of Healthwatch Dudley and highlights the changes we have made in the past year as well as the past decade. We look forward to the future and plans to reach more members of our community.

The overwhelming majority of people who shared their views (80%) stated that if the High Oak Surgery remains at Brierley Hill Health and Social Care Centre, it "will not be good." We want these voices to be considered when deciding the future location of High Oak Surgery.

From language barriers and limited access to healthcare, to housing issues and financial constraints, we want to advocate for improved support and services to address these challenges and ensure the well-being of migrant communities.

Our Annual Report for 2021-22, highlights our efforts in championing the voices of the local community and improving health and social care services.

As health and care services swiftly responded to the pandemic by finding new ways of working, Healthwatch Dudley also found new ways of engaging with local people.

Has the move to digital healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic improved access for some people excluded others? We joined forces with four other local Healthwatch to find out.

Healthwatch Dudley teamed up with Dudley Council to find out how people who receive personal budgets are finding the best people to support them.

We found there was a need for improved guidance and support in managing the process of employing a Personal Assistant.