It’s been a busy few months since our last newsletter. In July we welcomed our new Chair, Jonathan Jelley MBE JP, published our Annual Report 24-25 highlighting a selection of the real difference your voices have made to health and care services locally, and launched our brand-new mental health survey for young people (we’ve had nearly 100 responses already!). We’ve also launched our new online Impact pages to help show how your feedback is making a difference. We’re also busy getting ready behind the scenes to host our Annual Summit: Mental Health – Closing the Gaps.
The summer has also been a challenging time too. As many of you will be aware, in June the Government announced plans to close Healthwatch.
This unexpected news is deeply concerning and while we are still awaiting the outcome of proposed changes to the Health and Social Care Act currently before Parliament, it is becoming increasingly clear that the local Healthwatch network will close as part of national reforms.
As we receive more information about this, you can stay up to date via our website which is also where you will find the latest statement from our CEO, Jess Slater: Read our statement. Please rest assured that while we await confirmed timescales, as your local Healthwatch we will continue to ensure your voices are heard by those responsible for health and social care locally.
Our impact at a glance…
- Since 1st April we’ve received 728 individual pieces of feedback from you about your experiences of health and social care.
- From 1st April to 31st July, we’ve signposted 297 people to information and support, providing help over the phone or online.
- We’ve published our Annual Report.
- We’ve published a new Enter and View report: Alan Hudson Treatment Centre.
- We published findings from our patient data survey which we ran over the spring. You can read it here: Sharing Patient Data.
We’ve been finding out from Cambridge University Hospitals about how our 2022 report, ‘The future of urgent and emergency care at Addenbrooke’s Hospital’ has helped shape current work in acute care re-design: Listening to Local Voices.
- Together with University Centre Peterborough, our Youthwatch team has created a new video aimed at supporting young people to quit vaping. You can watch it here.
Stay up to date with how your feedback is making a difference with our new Impact pages: Our Impact | Healthwatch Peterborough Our Impact | Healthwatch Cambridgeshire
Our Annual Summit event, held on Wednesday 8th October 2025 at the Delta Marriott Hotel, Huntingdon, will place mental health firmly under the microscope. Hear from mental health services and people with lived experiences as we discuss what is working well and what needs improvement. Find out more and read the agenda.
Ghostwriter.