News and reports

Every October, Black History Month invites us to remember not only the struggles and achievements of the past, but the ongoing legacy of resilience and leadership that continues to shape our communities today. It is a time to reflect, to celebrate, and to renew our commitment to equity and justice.

Patients across England will now benefit from a new NHS safety rule designed to catch serious illnesses earlier. Known as Jess’s Rule, the rule aims to speed up diagnoses and prevent avoidable deaths.

This Patient Safety Day, we’re launching the next stage of our work to help people recognise abuse and know where to turn for support. Commissioned by the Greenwich Safeguarding Adults Board, the project builds on a successful pilot and will now reach more communities across Greenwich.

Recent feedback from patients and national survey findings show there are areas for improvement in care at Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Trust, echoing what Healthwatch Greenwich has heard during visits to Queen Elizabeth Hospital wards.

Read Healthwatch Greenwich's latest report providing insight into the experiences and perspectives of people admitted to Ward 5 at Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

NHS England has introduced a new patient charter, called “You and Your General Practice”, which sets out your rights and responsibilities when using GP services. From October, every GP practice must show this charter to help patients understand how to get the best care from their surgery.

Martha’s Rule is a major patient safety initiative providing patients and families with a way to seek an urgent review if their or their loved one’s condition deteriorates and they are concerned this is not being responded to.

The UK Government will send a test Emergency Alert to mobile phones across the UK at 3:00 PM on Sunday, 7 September 2025. This is a nationwide test of the Emergency Alerts system.

What is the six-week postnatal check for new mothers and why is it important that you attend it? In this advice piece, we cover all the basic questions you may have about it.

From January 2026, children across the UK will be able to get a new free vaccine during their usual GP appointments. The vaccine protects against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox and will be added to the regular NHS vaccination schedule for young children.

Read Healthwatch Greenwich's latest report providing insight into the experiences and perspectives of people admitted to Ward 17 at Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

Read Healthwatch Greenwich's latest report providing insight into the experiences and perspectives of people admitted to Ward 19 at Queen Elizabeth Hospital.