News and reports

Our Enter and View team visited Friary Lodge as part of Healthwatch’s planned series of visits to Care/Nursing homes in Barnet. It is a registered care home providing support to 15 older people.

What happens when a GP wants to refer you to a specialist? They send the referral to the Referral Management Service. The RMS team send the patient a letter within three weeks of the referral explaining how to book an appointment,online or via phone.

During February and March 2019, we conducted a survey with patients attending A&E departments in the Royal Free Hospital Trust. Our team of staff and volunteers visited the Accident & Emergency Departments at Barnet Hospital and the Royal Free Hospital to gather the views of over 500 patients. The main objective was to identify why people were coming to A&E.

Our annual report shows how our Healthwatch Barnet team of volunteers and staff have been at the forefront of changes brought about in the health and social care services, bringing local voices and experiences to the attention of decision makers.

This announced E&V visit was part of a planned set of visits reviewing safeguarding at a range of care and nursing homes within Barnet. In this visit we focussed on identifying any signs of abuse as described by the Social Care Institute for Excellence. This ‘at a glance’ briefing which aims to help people who come into contact with people with care and support needs to identify abuse and recognise possible indicators. Many types of abuse are also criminal offences and should be treated as such.