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We are delighted to welcome the Government's announcement that Healthwatch England and local Healthwatch will not be abolished, as previously proposed eighteen months ago. This means Healthwatch Wokingham Borough, alongside all 153 local Healthwatch organisations and our national body, Healthwatch England, will continue to be your champion for health and care, ensuring your voices, opinions and experiences help make systems and services work better for people and communities.

At our recent Racism in Care Forum, we heard about Operation Cavell, a national initiative bringing together NHS organisations and police forces to improve responses to violence, aggression, abuse and discrimination directed towards healthcare staff. Guest speaker Alison Drew, Associate Chief Nurse for Patient Experience, Workforce and Education, Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, highlighted that everyone has the right to feel safe when accessing or delivering care. While

Why we held the forum On 1 October, more than 75 people attended our Racism in Care Forum, delivered through our Thinking Together community engagement model in partnership with Healthwatch Reading and the Alliance for Cohesion and Racial Equality (ACRE). The forum brought together people with lived experience, community members, NHS trusts, councils, health and social care professionals, academics, and voluntary and community organisations to discuss racism, discrimination a

The future of Healthwatch was debated in the House of Lords on Tuesday during the second reading of the Health Bill. The Bill currently includes proposals to abolish Healthwatch at both a local and national level, raising important questions about the future of the independent patient voice. During the debate, Peers discussed the key issues within the Bill and highlighted areas where they believe changes may be needed. There was strong support from across political parties

We are pleased to share our summary report and infographic series from our NHS App project, in partnership with Healthwatch Reading. Throughout the project, we listened to people across the borough and Reading about their experiences of using the NHS App. Through our joint survey, community conversations and engagement activities, we gathered a significant amount of feedback and insights from local people. Our summary report brings this together into four key headlines an

Alongside completing our NHS App survey, residents shared their experiences of using the NHS App and accessing healthcare through other digital services during community conversations and engagement activities across the borough and Reading. A key theme that emerged from this feedback is a need for a simpler and more joined-up digital healthcare experience. While many residents valued the convenience of managing appointments, prescriptions and health records online, others de

Using the NHS App isn’t always straightforward. We wanted to hear from local people about their experiences using the App: who they turn to and what they need help with. During our NHS App project people in the borough and Reading told us about the different ways they get support, from family and friends, community groups to their GP surgery. But we also found that formal support, such as commissioned digital café sessions were rarely used because people did not know they exi

The Big Conversation is your chance to share your views on the future of adult social care. Adult social care supports adults with care and support needs. This includes old people, disabled people and people with long term health conditions. Most of us will need care at some point in our lives or have a loved one who will. We pay for social care through our taxes. So care matters to all of us. The Big Conversation, led by Baroness Louise Casey, is part of the work being un

Have you experienced racism, discrimination, prejudice or unequal treatment in health and social care settings? If so, we want to hear from you. Click here to share your experience anonymously. Health and social care services experience Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity, respect and fairness when accessing health and social care services. Yet for many people, this is not always the reality. People from Black, Asian and other diverse communities, as well as Jewish

Following our first infographic exploring residents’ experiences of the NHS App, we’re sharing the next set of findings from our survey results and conversations with local communities. Our findings show that around 1 in 3 people across the borough and Reading combined do not use the NHS App. People told us there are several reasons for this, including preferring traditional ways to access healthcare, lacking confidence with technology, and not having access to a suitable dev

Have you, or someone you care for, been discharged from hospital recently? We want to know about your experiences. Leaving hospital should be a safe and well-supported step towards recovery. But for some people, the process can be confusing, delayed or leave them without the support they need. We are working with Healthwatch England to understand people’s experiences of leaving hospital, also known as hospital discharge. You or someone you care for may have experienced delays

A huge thank you to everyone who supported our NHS App project; completed our survey, left comments on our social media channels or spoke to our engagement officers at local community events – your voice matters and helps improve services and care. Between October 2025 and January 2026, we heard from 953 residents across Wokingham Borough. In total, we received 1,436 responses, including 483 from Reading. Over the coming weeks, we’ll be running a campaign to share more ins

Last updated August 2026 Welcome to our NHS App information page. This is your one-stop page for support and guidance for using the app. Whether you're just getting started or want to learn more, we’ve got you covered. If you can’t use the NHS App on your mobile phone, you can still access the same services and information through the NHS website. You can log in online using a laptop, computer, tablet or phone with internet access: https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-app/ You can also co

Every improvement in local health and social care starts with someone sharing their experience. Whether it's telling us what is working well, raising concerns about access to services or suggesting ways care could be improved, local people's voices play a key role in shaping the services everyone relies on. At Healthwatch Wokingham Borough, we make sure every voice is heard. We are delighted to publish our Annual Report 2025/26: Speaking up for better care, which highlights t

This is a bumper edition newsletter packed with updates on our latest projects, local health news, and helpful information and advice. Click below to download our Feb/March newsletter in PDF format Join our mailing list to receive our monthly newsletter by clicking on the link below. https://www.healthwatchwokingham.co.uk/?utm_campaign=1840cf8c-233d-4448-8570-bd0e8841176e&utm_source=so&utm_medium=lp#subscribe Other recent newsletter editions January 2026 Roundup: Click below

With the Easter Bank Holiday approaching, make sure you’re prepared! It’s important to order any repeat medications in advance as pharmacies are extra busy around Bank Holidays and opening hours may be different. The pharmacies listed below are expected to be open during the Easter holidays. While details are correct at the time of publishing, opening times may change, so it’s best to contact the pharmacy before visiting to confirm availability and stock. You can also downlo

Wokingham Borough Council wants to hear from you as they need your help to shape a strategy to make physical activity more accessible for everyone across the borough. Whether you love walking or swimming, enjoy time in the garden or are training for a marathon, the council would like to understand: • What do you do to stay active • Where you are active • What matters to you • Any barriers you face • What would help you be more active To find out more and to fill out the surve

In June 2025, the government announced plans to close Healthwatch England and local Healthwatch organisations, with responsibilities expected to transfer through legislation to other parts of the system (subject to confirmation). Following this announcement, The King’s Fund has today published a report 'The Future of Patient Voice: Learning from the Healthwatch Model' (commissioned in part by Healthwatch England but developed independently by think tank The King’s Fund). The

Updates on 24th March: For the latest developments of the outbreak and for advice: Meningitis outbreak: what you need to know – UK Health Security Agency You may have seen reports of a meningitis outbreak in Kent, where two young people have sadly died and 13 people became ill over just three days. Most affected are sixth-form and university students. While outbreaks like this are rare, meningitis can spread quickly and become serious very fast, especially in shared spaces l

We are delighted to share a series of multilingual videos created by Alliance and Cohesion for Racial Equality ( ACRE ) in Reading, to help people access clear and trustworthy information about important vaccines. The videos cover the MMR vaccine (for both adults and children), flu, RSV and COVID-19 and are available below in Arabic, Nepali and Urdu to help reach more communities. About the video project Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire West Integrated Care Board (BOB