News and reports

Today, 12 March 2026, marks World Kidney Day, a global campaign dedicated to raising awareness of the vital role our kidneys play — and the real impact when they don’t work properly. More than 7 million people in the UK are living with kidney disease, many without realising it. Kidney disease often develops silently, with early stages showing few or no symptoms.

If you're worried about the care or safety of someone in a Greenwich care home, you don’t have to handle it alone. Whether something feels wrong or you're concerned about poor treatment, there are clear steps you can take to raise concerns and protect your loved one. This guide explains who to contact and how Healthwatch Greenwich can support you to make sure every resident receives safe, dignified care.

Community Health Engagement: Alcohol Awareness and Smoking Session with the Association of Chinese Women

Each March, organisations across the UK come together for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, a vital campaign dedicated to raising awareness of one of the most challenging and often misunderstood cancers affecting people with ovaries. This year, Healthwatch Greenwich is helping shine a spotlight on the importance of early recognition, understanding symptoms, and improving outcomes for those affected.

International Women’s Day (IWD) is a global celebration held every year on 8 March to recognise the cultural, political and socioeconomic achievements of women. It also serves as a powerful reminder of the ongoing work needed to achieve true gender equality.
For Healthwatch Greenwich, this day is an opportunity to champion women’s voices in health and social care and highlight the importance of equitable access to services for women and girls across our borough.

Parents in Greenwich urged to check children’s vaccinations as measles cases rise in London and elsewhere in the UK

The Tet Lunar New Year celebration at Woolwich Community Centre offered a vibrant snapshot of culture, community and connection, as Greenwich Vietnamese Women’s Group welcomed Healthwatch Greenwich to join an afternoon filled with tradition, shared heritage and multigenerational joy.

A new NHS pilot—soon expanding to Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust—is introducing cutting edge AI and robotic technology to help diagnose lung cancer earlier and with fewer invasive tests.

At Healthwatch Greenwich, we champion local initiatives that improve the health and wellbeing of residents. We are pleased to highlight an important development at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), where patients undergoing chemotherapy are now benefiting from innovative new technology funded by the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust Charity.

As part of our Raising Awareness of Abuse project, we hosted a safeguarding awareness session at St Peter’s Church in Woolwich, following Sunday Mass for Black Christian community. Around 60 local residents, many of who told us they had never heard 'safeguarding' explained in plain terms, before.  

In January, we joined the Muslim women’s group at Woolwich Community Centre for a conversation about safeguarding and abuse. Women discussed wider realities from domestic and financial pressures, to the ways racism and discrimination shape both risk and access to help.  

In December 2025 and January 2026, Healthwatch Greenwich had the opportunity to share learning from our HPV project at two South London system events: the South East London Early Cancer Diagnosis Forum and the ARC South London Knowledge Exchange Event. These conferences brought together clinicians, public health teams, GPs, practice managers, cancer alliance partners and a small number of voluntary and community organisations to explore how cancer prevention and early diagnosis can be improved.