You have the chance to join a new lived experience group. As part of this group, you’ll have a strong collective voice. The group aims to help make long term changes for unpaid carers across Middlesbrough.

For mor information, you can phone, text or email Vicky Jackson: 07874 867908 or vicky.jackson@pcp.uk.net  

Services are working together in County Durham to help reduce the risk of dementia. They are thinking about things you can do to keep your brain healthy. They want to know: 

This will shape future support.

Healthwatch in South Tyneside have heard that people had concerns about things like:

They would like to hear more about hospital discharge. This will help South Tyneside and Sunderland Hospital to improve.

The Healthwatch Cumberland team is looking at things that affect youth mental health. They want to know what would support young people to feel empowered and happy. They believe that all young people should:

Healthwatch is hosting a series of workshops with young people aged 11-25. They will look at how to R.I.S.E.

If you'd like to get involved email info@healthwatchcumberland.co.uk

There's an event to launch the Community Change Lab. It's looking at research with adults with a learning disability. The event will bring together people with lived experience, researchers, and funders. People with an interest in doing research with people, not about them. It will explore the power of co-research.

2-4pm on 30 June at People First in Carlisle.

The project is looking at 18-35 year olds in Tow Law. The researchers are working on family-friendly ways to research in the community. The partnership want to know what gets in the way of being involved in research.  This could be a lack of childcare, time, digital access, trust and confidence.

There will be workshops every two weeks. From June 2026 to March 2027. The researchers want to produce new evidence to tell decision makers what works for communities.
For more information email: rio.floreza@durhamcommunityaction.org.uk

Patients have been working with the Learning Disability Network to make a toolkit. It explains how to get help to use health services. We call this help reasonable adjustments. You can put a 'digital flag' on your NHS record to remind services to give you the help you need. The toolkit has films, posters and digital resources. Please share it with disabled friends and family.

Over 500 local people shared challenges of getting to appointments on public transport. 40% of people said they had to cancel appointments due to transport problems. The findings are useful when planning services for any rural area.

Healthwatch Gateshead is pleased to share the results of two recent projects.

You can now read what people told them on their website about:

These and many other reports are on the Healthwatch Gateshead website.

Healthwatch Cumberland has been speaking with local trans and gender diverse people. People have shared experiences accessing local health and social care services. They heard about:

Four people worked with artists to share their stories as a comic book. It's a fun way of safely sharing stories.

If you'd like to get involved with this work, email info@healthwatchcumberland.co.uk

Social prescribing connects patients with non-medical services to help people feel better.
This new report from North Cumbria shows the difference it makes to people's lives. It tells people's own stories. It also shows that social prescribing is used a lot. More than 20,000 people are referred in North Cumbria each year.  This evidence will be used with decision makers when planning social prescribing.

Northumbria Healthcare has been working with autistic people to improve their services. They aimed to make patient experience better for everyone. They worked with the Neurodiversity Staff Network and the North East Autism Society. They worked together to:

They won a Gold Autism Acceptance Award for this work. And would like to expand this work further.

Thank you to everyone who has told us what they think about the People's Hub. We have decided to keep the survey open, to keep listening and improving. Please fill in the survey if there's things you'd like to see in the future. 

Healthwatch is your health and social care champion. They:

Your local Healthwatch website exlpains:

Your voice matters!