News and reports

The COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective. It gives you the best protection against COVID-19. Although COVID-19 is often mild in children, it can make some children unwell.

Over the last nine years, Healthwatch Central West London (CWL) has delivered the Healthwatch function across Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea. As with most publicly funded contracts, these are put out to tender by the Local Authority on a regular basis, and potential providers are invited to apply.

NHS England use a technical document called The Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment to make decisions about applications to open new pharmacies or to change their locations within Kensington and Chelsea. A public survey has recently been launched to find out what local residents in Kensington & Chelsea think of local pharmacy services.

Findings from our young people’s survey highlight a distinct lack of connection between young people and their GP practices (Primary Care) in a time when they need it more than ever.

If you are a patient or carer in any of the wards across Westminster or Kensington & Chelsea and are registered to a local GP, then the good news is you can join your GP practice Patient Participation Group (PPG).

The current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic may cause you to feel worried, anxious, or scared. Read our tips to looking after your wellbeing when self-isolating.

From collaborating with local schools to auditing GP websites, discover how Young Healthwatch is exploring and representing the needs of young people in Kensington & Chelsea.

To find out how well the ‘digital first’ strategy is working for all people, we engaged with a range of organisations and groups from across the borough. This report builds on previous work we carried out on digital healthcare in 2020.

Last month we were delighted to continue our relationship with Imperial College London by hosting four third-year medical students for a workshop on health inequalities and the work of local Healthwatch.

On Tuesday 7th December, we held our 2021 Annual Meeting.
We brought together over 60 members, volunteers, staff, local colleagues, community partners, and members of the public to showcase our work and plan our priorities for the coming year.

We have published a new report, ‘Accessing Healthcare Digitally’. The report sets out the findings from our recent community engagement on the accessibility of digital healthcare tools. It also contains a comprehensive set of recommendations for service providers, designed to ensure that digital healthcare tools become as accessible and user-friendly as possible.

Over the past two years, collaborating with local groups has become an essential part of our work through our Small Grants Programme. It enables us to connect with people from a range of minority ethnic backgrounds and minority groups.