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As the Christmas holidays approach, there are temporary changes to our opening hours. Our phone lines close at 3pm on Thursday 18th December and reopen at 10am on Tuesday 6th January, 2026. Our office closes  at 5pm on Monday 22 December and reopen at 9am on Monday 5 th  January, 2026 During this time, you can still get in touch with us by emailing: enquiries@healthwatchwokingham.co.uk   or by using our online form  to share your experiences over the holiday period. From ph

The festive season can mean reduced service hours and extra pressure on health services. Our guide has everything you need to know, from local pharmacy opening times to urgent dental care and mental health support, to help you and your loved ones stay well over the holidays. Should you have a medical emergency during the festive season, please call 999.   NHS 111 Contact NHS 111 for all non-urgent medical help or advice, including mental health crisis support.    NHS 111 op

With the Christmas holidays just around the corner, we'd like to remind everyone to stock up their medicine cabinets and ensure repeat prescriptions are ordered in time for the holidays. Many local pharmacies will be closed or operating reduced hours throughout the Christmas period. However, there are still some pharmacies local to the borough you can visit if you want to speak to a pharmacist about any health concerns and minor illnesses. These include: earache (aged 1 to 1

Resident doctors (previously known as junior doctors) are striking from Wednesday 17 December 2025 to Monday 22 December 2025, across England. This impacts Wokingham Borough. Whilst Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust is putting plans in place to reduce the impact that this will have on the running of Royal Berkshire Hospital and other local services, some appointments may need to be changed. If your appointment is impacted by this, you will be contacted by the Trust to resc

NHS England is carrying out a national LGBT+ health evidence review, commissioned by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. The review, led by Dr Michael Brady, launched in July 2025 and will conclude in January 2026, with a final report and recommendations to help address health inequalities experienced by LGBT+ people. Its aims include understanding barriers to accessing healthcare, exploring experiences of care, identifying areas of poorer health outcomes, and

As of 1 December 2025, Berkshire Healthcare NHS Founation Trust has temporarily stopped accepting new referrals to its adult ADHD service due to a significant rise in demand. The step has also been taken by other NHS trusts facing similar pressures across England. This decision aims to protect patient safety and stabilise the service amid unprecedented demand. The service now receives more monthly referrals than it was originally commissioned to assess in a year, leading to:

Our November newsletter is packed with updates on our latest projects, local health news, and helpful information and advice. Click below to download our November 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 October 2025 Roundup: Click below to downlo

Below is a list of places where you can meet our team to discuss your views and experiences of local health and social care with them in person. We'll also be asking for your feedback on the NHS app. Where to meet the team in December: 8 December - Food Share, Shinfield Green Community Centre, 12:30-1:30pm Drop by and say hello to the team, we'd love to see you! * This page will be regularly updated with new events we’re attending throughout December. We also have other enga

The Government has responded to the petition to save Healthwatch, after plans were announced earlier this year to close down Healthwatch England and the local Healthwatch network as part of the NHS 10-Year Health Plan. The petition, which is open until  7 February 2026, calls on the Government to: • Revisit its decision to abolish local independent services that speak up for the public • Consult with the public to codesign a service which meets their needs and supports the

Latest research from our national body, Healthwatch England has found that 1 in 5 men are now using platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and YouTube - and almost 1 in 10 are using Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbots for information on staying healthy. Men in England often face worse health outcomes than women, including higher rates of heart disease, cancer, and suicide—one of the leading causes of death for men under 50. Our national body, Healthwatch England’s research, r

Fraudsters are impersonating the NHS (claiming to be your GP surgery receptionist/care navigator or a doctor) and targeting patients with phone calls claiming that they must update their GP records or risk being removed from their GP surgery list. These calls are fake and are designed to steal personal information. How the scam works People receive automated calls warning that their GP records are out of date and urging immediate action. The fraudsters may try to: Pressure y

Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust has stated: Whilst we are putting in place plans and contingencies to reduce the impact that this will have on the running of the hospital, some appointments may need to be changed. If your appointment is impacted by this, you will be contacted by the Trust to reschedule your appointment to another day. However, if you have not heard from us, you should come in as planned for your appointment. If you need urgent or emergency care on the da

At the end of October, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) announced that for the first time, menopause advice and questions will be included in free NHS health checks, helping millions of women. Routine NHS appointments will now help tackle one of the most overlooked women’s health issues — the menopause. This change will make sure that women going through perimenopause or menopause get clear information and support. It will also help more women spot the signs e

Welcome to our NHS App information page. This is your one-stop page for support and guidance. 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 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 still contact your GP practice or pharmacy by phone or in per

Our October newsletter is packed with updates on our latest projects, local health news, and helpful information and advice. Click below to download our October 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 September 2025 Roundup: Click below to downlo

Improving health services and care for women across Wokingham Borough is a key focus in our workplan for this year. We're pleased to highlight a new service that supports this goal. T he LARC (Long Acting Reversible Contraception (such as coils and implants)) service is now more accessible to women in the borough. You can still book this service through your GP but a new Mid Hampshire service also offers additional access, giving women more choice where they are seen and mak

We are delighted to announce that Alice Kunjappy-Clifton, Healthwatch Wokingham Borough and Healthwatch Reading Lead, has been appointed to the NHS Race and Health Observatory (RHO) Stakeholder Engagement Advisory Group. This group brings together individuals from across the NHS and wider communities to support the Observatory’s mission to address race and health inequalities. The advisory group meets quarterly to help ensure the RHO’s work remains grounded in the lived expe

Latest Government data shows that whilst HIV diagnoses in England are continuing to decline, there is still concern about reaching certain populations. The data In 2024, new HIV diagnoses fell by about 4 %, from 3,169 in 2023 to 3,043 England has now met key global HIV targets for six years in a row:  • 95 % of people living with HIV have been diagnosed. • Of those diagnosed, 99 % are receiving treatment. • 98 % of those on treatment have a suppressed viral load (this means

Below is a list of places where you can meet our team to discuss your views and experiences of local health and social care with them in person. We'll also be asking for your feedback on the NHS app. Where to meet the team in November: 5 November - Sunflowers Coffee Morning, Rainbow Centre, 10am-11:30am 7 November - Food Share, Norreys Church, 12:30pm - 2:30pm 18 November - Food Share, Finchampstead Baptist Church, 9am-12pm 24 November - Food Share, Emmanuel Church, 3:30pm-16

There are big changes taking place within the NHS as part of the Government's 10-year plan to help improve healthcare for everyone in...