1. Advice and Information -

    People have told us they can face problems registering with a GP in Barnet. This article explains more about your rights and what do to if you are refused the right to register.
  2. Advice and Information -

    Health issues unfortunately don't leave us alone at the weekend and people are often in need of medical assistance out of hours. Using NHS guidelines, we have provided some advice and information on where you can go for help when your GP is closed.
  3. Advice and Information -

    Find out what support is available to help you travel to your hospital appointments.
  4. Advice and Information -

    Four questions staff should ask you or a loved one about your oral health if you’re a care home resident, according to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence quick guide.
  5. Advice and Information -

    End of life care is support for people who are in the last months or years of their life. The guidance on the NHS website helps you know what to expect, how to plan ahead and how to manage your day to day decisions.
  6. Report -

    This visit to Cricklewood Walk-in Centre, was a follow up to the visits made in January and March 2018 and was arranged with the recently appointed Practice Manager to discuss the recommendations of those reports. The report also talks about the future of the centre, which is on the border of Barnet, Brent and Camden. We were told that about half the patients come from Brent, about 40% from Barnet and 10% from Camden.


  7. Response -

    During the CCG’s consultation period, we received emails from patients and carers of patients currently registered at Ravenscroft Medical Practice. All the emails raised concerns about the proposed move and the impact on patients. We attended three of the open consultation sessions to listen to the feedback from patients and carers and to CCG’s and Ravenscroft Medical Centre’s response to this feedback. As a result we identified several issues and recommended action to help support patients, should the proposed move take place.
  8. Report -

    This report is part of a planned set of Enter & View visits reviewing safeguarding at a range of care and nursing homes within Barnet. The care home is run by Ventry Residential Care providing accommodation and care for up to 21 older people.
  9. Report -

    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.
  10. Report -

    Our Enter and View team conducted this announced visit to Acacia Lodge Care Home as part of a planned set of visits reviewing safeguarding at a range of care and nursing homes within Barnet.
  11. Report -

    The NHS Long Term Plan, a ten-year plan created by NHS England, sets out a vision to make sure that health services are fit for purpose in the future. A significant part of the plan is around preventative action against illness and disease.
  12. Report -

    The low uptake of Cancer screening tests for patients with learning disabilities is not only a local issue in Barnet, but a national issue and health priority.
  13. Report -

    In summer and autumn 2018, we were contacted by community organisations, individuals and some GP staff about the difficulties patients were experiencing in using hospital transport for their journeys to and from Royal Free Hospital sites.
  14. Report -

    Our Enter and View team conducted this announced visit to Acacia Lodge Care Home as part of a planned set of visits reviewing safeguarding at a range of care and nursing homes within Barnet.
  15. Report -

    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.
  16. Report -

    This announced E&V visit was part of a planned strategy to look at the quality of care provided at a range of care & nursing homes within Barnet. Elmhurst Residential Home is a privately run home for up to 30 older people living with dementia.
  17. Report -

    Students at university tend not to realise the importance of registering with a GP or getting routine dental checks.
  18. Report -

    Our trained authorised representatives conducted an announced E&V visit to Aarandale Manor Care Home as part of a planned strategy to look at the quality of care provided at a range of care & nursing homes within Barnet.
  19. Report -

    This announced E&V visit was part of a planned strategy to look at a range of Sheltered Housing / Extra Care Units within Barnet to obtain a better idea of the services provided. Wood Court provides accommodation and support to older people .
  20. Report -

    This is an announced E&V visit undertaken by Healthwatch Barnet’s E&V Representatives. The team observed a weekday lunch at Henry Nihil House. This mealtime
    visit follows a previous more in depth Healthwatch Barnet E&V visit carried out in June 2015
  21. Report -

    We wanted to engage with a wide range of local people to find out about their experience of Health and Social Care services in Barnet.
  22. Report -

    The GP Patient Survey has been conducted by Ipsos MORI, on behalf of NHS England, since 2007. A questionnaire is sent annually between January and March to patients registered with GP practices across England and results are reported in July/ August.
  23. Report -

    This was an announced E&V visit as part of a planned set of visits investigating the mealtime experiences of residents at a range of care and nursing homes within Barnet. The Home provides nursing with care for 39 residents with different needs.
  24. Report -

    This is a Middlesex University & Healthwatch Barnet Collaborative report as a result of four MSc students working with HW to understand their role and help them better communicate and engage with young people aged 18 - 30 years.
  25. Report -

    We were alerted to difficulties in accessing/registering with GP services in Barnet, especially for people without a permanent address. We decided to research the registration process, by contacting the 57 GPs in Barnet through mystery shopping.
  26. Report -

    We asked students at the Success Festival in Middlesex University, about their access to dental services since starting university and received responses from 43 students. The festival covered a wide range of health and well-being topics.
  27. Report -

    We conducted an announced E&V visit as part of a planned set of visits investigating the mealtime experiences of residents at a range of care and nursing homes within Barnet.
  28. Report -

    This was a return visit to follow up the observations and recommendations made during the visits of 6th May and 24th June 2015. Both the General Manager and Care Manager in post at that time had
    moved on.
  29. News -

    According to the report published on 25 September 2019 the Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust has been rated as Good following the latest inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) between 18 June to 30 July 2019 .
  30. Advice and Information -

    Whether you are visiting the GP, living in a care home or having an operation, everyone deserves access to safe, high-quality care.
  31. Report -

    In June, Healthwatch attended the SOS – Stamp out Stigma! Conference, organised by the Hendon School Mental Health Wellbeing Team. With over 300 attendees, it was a big success in thinking about how mental health stigma can be tackled in schools.
  32. Report -

    In March 2018, at a Student Success Festival, HW spoke with students at Middlesex University to find out what their health priorities were. We found out that the top priority for students were mental health services followed by access to GP services.
  33. News -

    As part of their statutory responsibility, the Barnet Health and Wellbeing Board (HWB) has released the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) for 2018 - 2021.
  34. Report -

    This project set out to explore awareness and use of different medical services available in Barnet, amongst residents attending a GP surgery. Millway Medical Practice was approached as a key
    location to carry out this project.
  35. Report -

    Although most common amongst people over the age of 45, bladder and/or bowel problems can affect anyone at any point in their lives.
  36. Report -

    This was an announced E&V visit as part of a planned set of visits to observe the quality of care provided. After an original visit on 18 July 2017, the purpose of this visit was to meet with the manager and clarify issues from the previous visit.
  37. Report -

    Healthwatch Camden co-ordinated work by five local Healthwatch organisations, in Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey and Islington to help local residents have a say in plans for urgent and emergency care in North London.
  38. Report -

    Many patients Healthwatch engaged with were still not aware of the new GP Enhanced Access Service provided in the borough. We therefore researched all 52 websites to explore how consistent the information provided was.
  39. News -

    The Silver Line is the only national confidential and free helpline, open 24 hours a day, providing information, friendship and advice for older people.
  40. Report -

    Healthwatch Barnet sought the views of home care agency managers and home carers to paint a more comprehensive picture of the experiences and challenges around delivering home care services locally.
  41. Report -

    Our team of staff and trained volunteers conducted an announced Enter and View visit to Cricklewood Health Centre as part of our planned strategy to look at a range of Health and Social Care services within the London Borough of Barnet.