News and reports

Insect bites or stings are not usually serious and get better in a few days. But sometimes they can become infected or cause a serious allergic reaction. Using NHS guidelines, we have provided some advice and information on where to get help for infected bites and stings.

If you have lost someone to suicide, the South East London Suicide Bereavement Service is here for you. They work with people across the boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Lambeth, Lewisham, and Southwark, including children and young people who feel that they would benefit from their service.

On Friday 17 May, Healthwatch Greenwich and our team of volunteers joined in the Dementia Action Week event organised by the Royal Borough of Greenwich at Eltham Library to speak with carers of people living with dementia.

On 15 May, the government announced that from Autumn, it will test out its patient choice expansion plan in new areas across the country to give patients a choice of where they receive out-of-hospital care.

With rising cases of whooping cough in England, the NHS is encouraging expecting mothers to get the whooping cough vaccine to protect their babies.

Find out what we have been hearing about health and care services in Greenwich and what action service providers have taken as a result of your feedback.

Healthwatch England's report titled Pharmacy: What People Want published on 30 April explores people's experiences and attitudes towards pharmacy services in England and identifies approaches that healthcare leaders and the wider sector can take to improve services.

Read Healthwatch Greenwich's latest report exploring mental wellbeing experiences within local Greenwich communities and strategies to improve access to mental wellbeing support.

Read Healthwatch Greenwich's latest report providing insight into the challenges carers within Black and ethnic minority communities face in navigating their roles and accessing support.

Find out what we have been hearing about health and care services in Greenwich and what action service providers have taken as a result of your feedback.

On Women’s Day, we were in General Gordon Square with a focus on promoting women’s health screening. Using a combination of strategies in a community setting, including face-to-face interaction (short, informal conversations), incentives (freebies), and information resources (leaflets), Healthwatch Greenwich promoted, encouraged, and reassured women about breast and cervical screening.
Among the women we spoke to, awareness gaps were evident, particularly among recently migrated women. For others, trust in healthcare providers and systems is a key driver, with positive experiences encouraging future attendance. In addition, their children were a motivating factor for some. Negative experiences with GPs and hospitals (even when unrelated to screening) reduced the likelihood of women attending screening appointments. Some expressed fear of discomfort or pain, reducing motivation to take up screening opportunities, and women with mobility challenges faced physical barriers in accessing screening.

Read and download the full report at the end of this page.