Quotes from Healthwatch Dorset student volunteers from Bournemouth School for Girls:

• “Being a second-generation immigrant myself, I’m really interested in finding out more about how both first and second-generation immigrants experience using NHS services. Since such a large part of the UK population [around 16–18% in the 2021 Census] is made up of people born outside the UK. I think it’s important to understand whether things like language, culture or background make a difference in how people access care.”
• “The project went beyond my expectations, I did not think we would get as many responses to the survey and I didn’t expect the project to become so important and valued.”

Announcing the report, Louise Bate, Healthwatch Dorset Manager, said: “We are incredibly grateful to everyone who shared their personal experiences with us – carers, patients and staff – that gave us valuable insights of the service. We will be sharing our findings with the Dorset Hospital at Home Steering Committee and leading consultants to help their development of better services in the community.“

What people told us

While many people shared positive experiences of kind and supportive NHS staff, others described avoidable barriers that made getting care more difficult. Feedback centred on several key themes:

• Difficulty navigating the NHS system and lack of clear information
• Language barriers and limited access to translation
• Digital barriers
• Cultural needs not always recognised
• Lack of trust in the healthcare system
• Long wait times for GP, dental and emergency care.

Despite these challenges, the majority of respondents felt they could get NHS services when needed, and many praised staff for treating them equally and helping to reduce anxiety.

Recommendations: What needs to change

Participants were clear about the improvements they would like to see. Their recommendations focus on clarity, accessibility, and ensuring that NHS services understand and respect cultural differences.

1. Make interpreter and translation services clear and consistent

People told us they are often unaware interpreters are available. We recommend ensuring interpreter needs are clearly recorded and acted upon, and that NHS staff check who the appointment is for when it is booked by someone else.

2. Clearer, jargon-free communication in multiple languages

Those who answered the survey wanted more accessible information about how the NHS works, how to access different services, and what to expect. This includes increasing multilingual resources, offering non-digital options, and ensuring consistency across GP practices, hospitals and other services.

3. Greater awareness and understanding of cultural needs

Building a more culturally competent NHS — supported by training and awareness of inclusive policies — would help increase trust and improve patient outcomes for diverse communities.

4. Better information for people waiting for care

Long wait times were the most common difficulty reported. Respondents said they need clearer, culturally relevant information about waiting lists and what support is available while they wait.

Putting people’s voices at the heart of change

Commenting on the findings, Louise Bate added: “People from immigrant communities bring invaluable insights into how the NHS can better meet the needs of all residents. Our young volunteers have shown how listening to peoples’ lived experiences can highlight simple, practical improvements — from clearer communication to culturally aware support — that would make a real difference.”

The report is shared with NHS partners across primary and secondary care to support ongoing work to improve access, communication and trust.

Read the full report

Navigating the NHS: Voices from immigrant communities in Bournemouth

In 2024-25, following expansion of the team, Kernow MNVP worked hard to build connections and reach a range of communities across the breadth of Cornwall and Isles of Scilly. They attended over 45 community projects and events and had the privilege of speaking to hundreds of families, listening to their personal feedback and experiences with maternity care. Over 90 people completed ‘Have Your Say’ forms offering valuable insights and deepened their understanding of what truly matters to parents.

In addition, Kernow MNVP focused their work last year on some key projects and engagement activities:

• Kernow Parenting Journey: Kernow MNVP collaborated with partners and service users to advance the Pregnancy Circles initiative through face-to-face sessions by community teams. including launches in Penrice and Isles of Scilly. This was enhanced by the Personalised Care and Support Plans to help people make informed decisions about their care.
• Maternity Natters Bitesize: This initiative made significant progress, with Kernow MNVP collaborating with the Cornwall IT Services team and healthcare providers to shape website development alignment with Personalised Care and Support Plans.
• 15 Steps to quality care in community maternity services: Kernow MNVP focused their visits with staff, volunteers and service users at community venues in St Austell, Helston and Newquay. Using NHS England’s 15 Steps process, their report contained some recommendations around improvement in communication and information but also highlighted some wonderful areas of good practice.
• Overnight support pilot: Kernow MNVP supported Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust develop a pilot on the postnatal ward to allow birthing people the support of their partner or support person overnight. Following feedback that showed this was an overwhelming positive experience for those that stayed on the ward, it has been agreed that this will be a permanent change.

Susan Bracefield, Chief Nursing Officer at NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board, praised the value of Kernow MNVP’s work: “This year, Kernow MNVP has again demonstrated its role in improving experiences for women and families across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly who are using maternity and neonatal services.

“Through public engagement and close community partnerships, the team ensures local voices are heard at the heart of maternity and neonatal care. Among recent successes, the overnight support pilot on the postnatal ward – now made permanent – is a clear example of the positive change it helps to bring about.

“We are grateful for the work of Kernow MNVP and proud to continue supporting its important mission to champion those who use our maternity and neonatal services.”

Announcing the annual report, Nicki Burnett, Senior Lead for Kernow MNVP, said: “I am so proud of the work we have done this year and so grateful to the leaders across Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust and Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board who have consciously made the decision to invest and support, meaningful and sustainable service user voice even when it is challenging. We hold the voices of our communities at the heart of everything we do.”

More information

Read the full Kernow Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership Annual Report 2024-25

To keep up to date with KMNVPs work or to share your experience of local maternity services:

• Webpage Kernow Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership
• Subscribe to the KMNVP newsletter

Key findings of the report

• Overwhelming support for the service: 83% of carers rated Hospital at Home as very good, with none rating it as poor.
• Better patient outcomes: Carers reported that patients benefited from faster care, more comfort, and reduced risk of infection compared to hospital stays.
• Improved communication: 89% of carers said they were kept fully informed about treatment and knew where to access further support.
• Increased burden on carers: Many carers described emotional stress, disrupted sleep, financial pressure, and a lack of aftercare. Some felt more joined-up services and clearer communication would improve their experience.

Case studies in the report highlight both the benefits and the challenges. One mother described how her child could keep attending school thanks to Hospital at Home, reducing disruption for the whole family. Another carer, herself a health professional, said how quickly her father received care and pain relief, which would have taken longer in hospital:

“It was stressful initially as Dad suddenly became unwell on a Friday when GP services might have been out of the question and he needed to be seen face-to-face. It was positive that there was reassurance there would be help on the weekend. Dad was given stronger pain relief and a Hospital at Home ward.“

Report recommendations:

1. Better public information and dedicated NHS webpages on Hospital at Home.
2. Stronger involvement of carers in care planning and communication.
3. Consistent identification and support of unpaid carers.
4. Ongoing collection of feedback from carers and patients to shape the service.

Announcing the report, Louise Bate, Healthwatch Dorset Manager, said: “We are incredibly grateful to everyone who shared their personal experiences with us –carers, patients and staff – that gave us valuable insights of the service. We will be sharing our findings with the Dorset Hospital at Home Steering Committee and leading consultants to help their development of better services in the community.“

Cliff Kilgore, Consultant Practitioner for Older People at Dorset County Hospital NHS Trust, welcomed the report, saying: “There is significant evidence that inpatient care can lead to deleterious effects. Therefore, we should provide high levels of medical care outside of hospital when we can.“

Read the full report

Hospital at Home Service: Understanding the impact on family carer’s in Dorset

What’s working well and what needs to improve?

Working with One Wolverhampton, Healthwatch Wolverhampton will use a community-based approach to gather people’s views through:

• An online survey asking residents about the type of care they receive, how well services communicate with one another, and what changes they would like to see.
• In-person focus groups and conversations, offering people the chance to share their experiences in more detail.
• Attendance at community forums and local events, to ensure a wide range of voices are heard.

Stacey Lewis, Healthwatch Wolverhampton Manager, said: “We know how important adult social care is to individuals and families across Wolverhampton. By listening to people’s experiences, we can identify where services are working well and where things need to improve. This project is about giving residents a stronger voice and helping create more joined-up, person-centred care.”

All data will be collected confidentially, and the findings will be used to inform Healthwatch Wolverhampton’s recommendations. This report will be shared with One Wolverhampton integrated neighbourhood teams – who are professionals from various sectors, including healthcare, social care, and community services, working together to provide proactive and personalised support. The report will help influence improvements in the way local adult social care is coordinated and delivered.

For Healthwatch, at this stage, while no official timeline has yet been confirmed, it is business as usual and your voice still matters.

Since the formation of Healthwatch in 2013, we’ve helped many thousands of people raise concerns, access vital advice, and influence real change in the local services they rely on. The legal duty of Healthwatch – to listen to your experiences and make sure your voice shapes the care you receive – currently remains unchanged.

What facts we know

The government has announced that it wants to change the law to:

1. Transfer the work of Healthwatch England to the Department of Health and Social Care.
2. Transfer the work of local Healthwatch services to the NHS and local authorities.

Until legislation is passed, the Department of Health and Social Care will advise local authorities to continue commissioning local Healthwatch services. We will work with commissioners, system partners and community stakeholders on a smooth transition in due course.

What does this mean right now?

While these changes will happen over time, the law has not yet been changed. This means local Healthwatch is still here, open, and working for you. Our teams will continue to:

1. Listen to your experiences of health and social care.
2. Share what we hear with those in power to help improve services.
3. Provide advice and information to help you find the support you need.

We remain dedicated to championing people’s voices in health and social care and will provide updates on our local Healthwatch work as more information becomes available.

Evolving Communities Chief Executive, Lucie Woodruff, said:

“As an organisation we remain committed to our purpose of ensuring patients and the public have meaningful opportunities to speak out, be heard and influence health and care services through the important work of our Healthwatch teams. This remains our number one priority at this challenging and uncertain time. I want to thank our staff and volunteers who have worked tirelessly over the past 12 years to champion and support local people and their communities, working with their local health and care systems to ensure views and experiences make a difference.”

• Accessing health and care while homeless or vulnerably housed: Based on feedback from service users, health professionals and support workers in Bournemouth, their report highlights the concerning disparities in health outcomes for people experiencing homelessness and is rich with firsthand and poignant accounts. The recommendations are being reflected in the NHS Dorset Homeless Health Plan that is under review for publication later this year. Read the report
• Shaping better health and social care in Dorset’s local communities: They spoke with over 180 people in the Boscombe area about their experiences, whose stories highlight the need for Improved access to GPs and NHS dental services, stronger community mental health services and more continuity in social care. The findings have helped Our Dorset, the Integrated Care System, shape the Integrated Neighbourhood Team for Boscombe to ensure it meets the community’s needs effectively. Read the report
• People’s experiences of using pharmacy services across Dorset: The views of over 900 local residents who responded to a survey gave greater understanding of the impact of pharmacy closures, medicine shortages and awareness of Pharmacy First. Their findings are being used by Public Health Dorset to inform the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment due to be published later this year and by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Pharmacy. Read the report
• Supporting carers at Dorset County Hospital: Change takes time and Healthwatch Dorset maintained work behind the scenes with services to raise issues and bring about change. They followed up their previous recommendations made for hospitals to better support unpaid carers to reveal the local NHS has implemented training, named Carers Leads alongside promotion of Carers Passports. Read the blog
• Raising awareness to improve support for vulnerable people and communities: They established further new partnerships and worked together with local health, care and community groups to raise awareness of the challenges impacting people’s health and wellbeing and the support that makes a positive difference. Read our blogs

Healthwatch Dorset projects for 2025-26

In 2025-26, Healthwatch Dorset will continue to engage with communities across the county, and make sure those in power hear the views and experiences of our diverse communities. The top three priorities for the year are:

• Working with young people to learn how they search for and access care.
• Reaching out to diverse groups across Dorset to learn about the digital divide.
• Gathering in-depth interviews to inform urgent care improvements.

Announcing the annual report, Viv Aird, Chair of the Healthwatch Dorset Board, said: “Our focus this year has been on responding to everything you have told us about your experience of local health and care services. Thank you to everyone who has supported and contributed to our work, including those who have acted on our recommendations, and to all of you who have so generously shared your experiences with us in order to help to make services across Dorset better for others.”

More information

Read the full Healthwatch Dorset Annual Report 2024-25 to find out more about their work.

Keep up to date with Healthwatch Dorset’s news and events and get involved:

• Sign up for regular updates
• Visit our website, where you can also share your feedback about Dorset’s health and care services: Share your views

• Improving patient experience of mental health services: Based on feedback gathered via a survey and during a visit to Penn Hospital from patients, family, carers and mental health professionals, their report highlighted several recommendations report to improve people’s access to and experience of mental health services. Through continuous collaboration with public health teams, their recommendations are being considered. Read the report
• Better support for adults with autism: Following community engagement to understand the impact of barriers faced by people waiting for an autism diagnosis or living with autism, their report is helping to inform the ICB’s work looking at coordination of autism services and policies at Black Country level. Read the report
• Reaching out to those communities whose voices may go unheard: This continues to be achieved locally by partnering with organisations active in equality and diversity, and through initiatives reaching people struggling with socio-economic deprivation. Healthwatch Wolverhampton has investigated access to social care for the South Asian community and also helped refugees feel more confident in accessing NHS care and to share their experiences.
• Making hospital care more accessible: The Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust responded to Enter and View recommendations to improve the physical environment at one of their inpatient services.
• Improving the quality of care homes: They carried out Enter & View visits as part of their joint working with the City of Wolverhampton Council and the Care Quality Commission to support quality monitoring of residential care homes; their reports informed the care home improvement plans.

Healthwatch Wolverhampton projects for 2025-26

In 2025-26, Healthwatch Wolverhampton will continue to engage with communities across the city, and make sure those in power hear the views and experiences of our diverse communities. The top three priorities for the year are:

• Continue working to address access needs for those with sensory loss.
• Tackling health inequalities further by reaching areas of the community they don’t currently hear from.
• Ensuring a positive and joined up experience for those receiving adult social care by working with partners implementing integrated neighbourhood care.

Announcing the annual report, Mandy Poonia, Co-Chair of Healthwatch Wolverhampton’s Oversight Group, said: “We strive to listen to our local communities in making a difference to health and social care services. We base our work priorities on what local people are telling us about their experiences, so it is important that you share your feedback with us about accessing services in Wolverhampton.”

More information

Read the full Healthwatch Wolverhampton Annual Report 2024-25 to find out more about their work.

Keep up to date with Healthwatch Wolverhampton’s news and events and get involved:

• Sign up for regular updates
• Visit our website, where you can also share your feedback about Wolverhampton’s health and care services: Share your views

Healthwatch Dorset spoke to Reverend Jonathan Herbert about his work in supporting the local Gypsy, Roma and Travellers communities across Dorset. He explained the significance of recognising Gypsy, Roma and Traveller history and heritage: “It’s so important that we educate and take the opportunity to host events, so that people can meet others from that vibrant community. It’s important to celebrate any kind of cultural diversity and heritage because not only does it enrich us, but more importantly, we need to push back against prejudice.”

To better support the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community, Reverend Herbert said: “A crucial aspect is building trust with health professionals because the community tends not to trust people in authority due to past negative experiences. Some people have been told that they can’t register at a GP Surgery without a fixed address, the health staff use long words, or they are given a form to fill in by someone unaware that their literacy skills are quite low.” He added that Kushti Bok, a Gypsy, Roma and Traveller organisation in Dorset is working hard to raise awareness and encourage people to go for scans and check-ups. Read the full blog

Healthwatch Dorset has also produced a video of their chat with Susan, who shared her experience and insight of what it was like for her growing up in the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller culture, and later being moved into housing.

This work builds on Healthwatch Dorset’s engagement with the settled Gypsy, Roma and Travellers community in the Bourne Valley area to gather their feedback as part of the NHS 10 Year Plan national consultation. Read the full blog

Healthwatch England included local feedback from Dorset as part of their submission setting out the four things people want from the 10-Year NHS Plan. This highlighted that people who already face inequalities, such as ethnic minority backgrounds, are more likely to be affected by problems in the NHS which ‘exacerbate the lack of trust many communities feel in health and care services, including a reluctance to give feedback on experiences and to engage with services.’ Read the full blog

Share your story

Get in touch with Healthwatch Dorset to share your experiences of local health and social care services, good and bad, to help make care better for all Dorset residents. Complete their feedback survey

Evolving Communities is a community interest company which specialises in gathering and reporting people’s views and experiences of health and social care to help drive and guide improvements in services. The company has extensive experience of delivering independent local Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnerships and has been running Somerset MNVP for several years along with Kernow MNVP and Dorset MNVP, as well as several local Healthwatch services and a broad range of national and local community engagement projects.

Evolving Communities has recently recruited new members of staff (Lara, Helen and Caitlyn) to form the local team – as Senior Lead, MNVP Trust Lead and Volunteer & Engagement Officer –who will raise awareness of Devon MNVP, engage with people who use maternity and neonatal services, and share their feedback and insight with those who provide care to help shape local services.

Lucie Woodruff, CEO of Evolving Communities, said: “To provide quality maternity and neonatal care, services need to understand how to meet the needs of their diverse local communities. We are delighted to be supporting our new Devon MNVP team to connect with local people and champion their views. We look forward to working with maternity and neonatal care professionals to ensure continued development and improvement in Devon, and to sharing good practices across all our MNVP services in Cornwall, Dorset and Somerset.”

Charli Mardon, Devon Maternity Commissioner and Local Maternity and Neonatal System Programme Manager, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Lara, Helen and Caitlyn to the Devon Local Maternity and Neonatal System Team. The voices of families are pivotal to ensuring that our maternity and neonatal services are the best that they can be and reflect the needs of our community. We are looking forward to working with them in continuing to coproduce improvements to our services.”

Find out more about Devon MNVP and get in touch with the team to share your views and experiences about local services or get involved as a volunteer:

• Website: co.uk/devon-mnvp
• Email: info@devonmaternityvoices.org.uk
• Follow on social media: Facebook and Instagram

During the visits, a group of service users joined Kernow MNVP staff and local midwives and used the NHS England 15 Steps toolkit to observe first impressions of the care environment and interactions with staff. They identified strengths and areas for improvement across five key themes:

• Welcoming and informative
• Safe and clean
• Friendly and personal
• Organised and calm
• Accessible and inclusive.

Overall, the report highlights the value of delivering quality maternity care in community settings and shines a spotlight on Penrice MLU in St Austell as an example of best practice. Common areas for development are identified across the sites, mainly around signage, parking, information and communication, and recommendations are made for improvement in each setting.

Announcing the report, Nicki Burnett, Senior Lead, Kernow MNVP, said: “Kernow MNVP is committed to ensuring that service user voices are at the heart of improvements in maternity and neonatal care. We want to thank everyone who joined us for the 15 Steps visits and contributed so constructively – your personal stories, insights, and recommendations are at the heart of this report.

“Community birth settings have always been an important and integral part of delivering maternity care in Cornwall, not least because of our many dispersed and rural communities. It is important that all families are aware of their maternity care options so that they can make informed choices and create personalised care and support plans that meet their needs.

“Overall, these visits felt like a celebration of our community maternity spaces, with Penrice Birthing Centre clearly demonstrating how to get things right for local families. Service users could see and feel the time, consideration and dedication that has gone into making sure service users have a great maternity experience.

“It’s important that all our maternity care spaces and facilities, whether in hospitals or community settings, contribute to quality care experiences that are safe, inclusive and supportive for all families; the 15 Steps visits enable us to guide improvements where they are needed.”

Kernow MNVP has shared their report with the Local Maternity and Neonatal System and the Royal Cornwall Hospital NHS Trust to guide plans for improving delivery of maternity care across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. Kernow MNVP will monitor progress made in these community settings and carry out 15 Steps visits to other settings during 2025.

Susan Bracefield, Chief Nursing Officer, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly NHS Integrated Care Board (ICB), welcomed the report: “The local maternity and neonatal system is incredibly grateful to the Kernow MNVP team for producing this report. The feedback and intelligence contained within the document is vital to supporting the system to continue to develop and deliver safe, personalised services in a meaningful way. We are proud to work so closely with Kernow MNVP and to have the voice of those that use our services embedded within our work.”

More information

Read the full report or share your feedback about maternity or neonatal care in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.