ICYMI: Most of us live in a world dense in connections, surveillance & tech, and it can be hard to disconnect ..but not it seems from our connection with the NHS. Via @thekingsfund.bsky.social + partners @healthwatchengland.bsky.social @nationalvoices.bsky.social www.kingsfund.org.uk/insight-and-...

🌍 On #WorldEarthDay, one message is clear: Europe's green transition must protect both the planet and patients' access to safe, effective treatments. Working on this with #EUCOPE to drive the EU’s green transition forward, keeping #patients at the centre.

Just one more day until Care Opinion's online conference, 23rd April from 12.30-5pm, called "Humanity in Action: Stories that shape better care". Now is your last chance to sign up for free! 👇 events.teams.microsoft.com/event/e0b876...

Are you involved in a Patient Participation Group (PPG), or would you like to support your local surgery? Why not watch our short film to find out about some of the brilliant work of patient groups in Oxfordshire: healthwatchoxfordshire.co.uk/our-films#pp...

We are seeking a compelling and charismatic leader to become our next Chair. We are looking for an exceptional individual, with vision, sound judgement and an inclusive, respectful leadership style, with the ability to engage and influence at the highest levels.

We can help you navigate health and care services in #Somerset and explain the jargon😁 Call us free on 0800 999 1286 or go to our website: healthwatchsomerset.co.uk

Was your baby born in January or February 2026? You could be invited to take part in our major survey that assesses the quality of maternity services in England. Find out more: bit.ly/_MAT26

Policy drift in this area has gone on long enough. There is no single other thing that the govt could do that would make as much difference to the health and well-being of children, and their families. Rebuilding the HV service must be a priority. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

open.substack.com/pub/rorycell... Getting an AI bot to triage phone calls to my local GP surgery seemed like a great idea – but faced with a complex case it turned into another case of NHS communication failure

The 2026 Women’s Health Strategy – has mesh dropped to the bottom of the pile? A blog from @slingthemesh.bsky.social added to the hub.

"A rational and independent examination of the facts tells us that, with alternatives available—even UK ones—the case to terminate the Palantir contract is resounding," writes @kamranabbasi.bsky.social in this Editor's Choice www.bmj.com/content/393/...

What does epistemic justice mean for young people seeking support for their mental health? In this open access chapter, Michael Larkin and team explore the importance of being understood: link.springer.com/ch... #philsky #philosophyforeveryone

Another session spotlight from our upcoming online conference #COconf26: “Exploring the evidence base: what is research telling us about online patient feedback?” 💬 @jamesfm55.bsky.social at @careopinion.org.uk 🗨️ Miles Sibley at @patientlibrary.bsky.social 📅 23 April 👉 Register: bit.ly/4vBBOXN

Opposition to Palantir’s involvement in the NHS is growing. @helensalisbury.bsky.social writes on data control, privacy, and Palantir www.bmj.com/content/393/...

35,420 people shared their experiences of health and care on @careopinion.org.uk last year (2025/26). In my latest blog I reflect on why these stories matter and what they can teach us about listening to the public. www.careopinion.org.uk/blogposts/13...

£64bn is the cost of UK capitulation to pharmaceutical companies and Trump. Secret deal commits the NHS to pay higher price for new and existing drugs No debate in parliament. Govt can tax the rich, cut other services, let people die, start manufacturing drugs and become self-reliant.

(1) We’re excited to be hosting our 10th online conference on 📅 23 April, themed “Humanity in Action: Stories that Shape Better Care.” There’s still time register: events.teams.microsoft.com/event/e0b876... We wanted to spotlight one of the sessions we’re especially looking forward to 👇

This just reinforces what I said yesterday: www.linkedin.com/pulse/palant...

**CALL OUT** I’m looking to gather experiences of disabled people who have been criticised or harassed by the public about their Blue Badge or Motability car etc when out. Click on link to fill in our form. Please do share to reach as many people as possible. www.the-guardian.com/world/2026/a...

The NHS wants to listen and learn from the experiences of young people diagnosed with cancer to improve the care and support. Take part in the NHS England #U16CancerPatientSurvey to help us develop cancer services for children and young people. See www.under16cancerexperiencesurvey.co.uk

The top photo is from March of 2026. The bottom photo is from March of 2022. It is amazing what ten people with determination (and paintbrushes) can do in four years. ❤️ #ThrowbackThursday

Don’t miss your chance to help inform positive change to neonatal services 🤝. If invited, have your say in the #NeonatalCareExperienceSurvey zurl.co/GJPVN @england.nhs.uk

We use the experiences of Cheshire and Merseyside patients to shape cancer services and raise awareness of the disease – and our patient reps do a fantastic job. Jenny Brazier, Patient Engagement Senior Project Officer, has written a blog about this. See: cmcanceralliance.nhs.uk/blog/beyond-...

Martha's Rule is a national programme around early detection of deterioration in patients and guarantees that patients, relatives, carers, and staff can activate a rapid review from a separate clinical team if they feel something is going wrong. At University Hospital of North Tees, signage...

The #BritishSocialAttitudes survey shows that there isn't public appetite for a change to the NHS funding model. Strong support for the principles that the NHS should be funded through taxation and free at the point of use has endured. Read our analysis: buff.ly/iB2JyC9

Next up in my Who Wants Normal? paperback countdown is the second Guardian extract (and one of my favourite parts of the book). Here’s wise words by 26 brilliant disabled women: from Ruth Madeley, Katie Piper, Jameela Jamil, Nikki Fox, to Rosie Jones. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...

On #WorldHealthDay, we support the WHO call to stand with science. Evidence‑led research and collaboration are vital to tackling health inequalities and improving outcomes and we work to ensure science delivers impact across the North of England www.who.int/campaigns/wo...

Our weekly summary of consultations is now available to read or download. ➡️ bit.ly/3PWbUxx

How can research transform healthcare for children and young people? This World Health Day, Professor Dan Perry shares how research, evidence and data is helping to challenge and improve healthcare. Read the blog here 👇 https://bit.ly/3PW9Cyr #StandWithScience #WorldHealthDay

Today is #WorldHealthDay, which is focused on the theme “Together for health. Stand with science.” In this article we highlight 14 blogs and interviews shared on the hub which showcase the important work scientists and researchers are doing to improve patient safety. www.pslhub.org/learn/patien...

Are you a parent of a 12-15 year old young person who experiences chronic musculoskeletal pain? Please share our study details (see below) with your child as we are eager to hear from more 12-15 year olds on how they manage their pain. For more information, see inspiremsk.stir.ac.uk

What’s coming up this spring at @careopinion.org.uk? 🌷 Our spring programme is full of opportunities to learn, share and explore. There’s something for everyone. Have a read of our support team’s blog to see what’s blooming this spring: 🔗 www.careopinion.org.uk/blogposts/13...

This new webinar considers the challenges that #neurodivergent #children & #youngpeople & those with learning disabilities often experience when completing outcome & feedback measures. Exploring a range of effective approaches. Join us om 27 April: www.corc.uk.net/training-eve...

Have you recently had an experience as an inpatient or as an outpatient visitor at a local hospital? Healthwatch Oxfordshire want to hear your views. Please tell us what it was like, leaving a short, anonymous review in our Feedback Centre: healthwatchoxfordshire.co.uk/feedback-on-...

Patients and GPs told us the same thing: navigating the NHS can feel like a maze Our joint report with the Royal College of General Practitioners calls for the system to be easier to navigate, alongside improving access to GP care & continuity Read the report: buff.ly/v6Wg42m

Fellow adoptees, I need your help! I'm doing a journalism project on how the NHS treats adoptees, including a survey. It's anonymous and will take 5-15 minutes to do. More info in the survey: forms.gle/xXeiGJ1fJcrZbjfu7 #adoption #adopteerights #adopteehealth

How do Chief Nurses create conditions for exceptional patient experience? Join our CNO Roundtable on 22 April at 12pm (Teams), with four DAISY Lifetime Achievement Award recipients exploring nursing leadership and person centred care. Register now: bit.ly/CNOWebinar #CNO #PEN #PickerEurope

🆕The Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance (@cmcanceralliance.bsky.social) explain how patient stories are integrated into their governance, learning and pathway redesign, and how this approach transforms storytelling from passive listening into active improvement. www.pslhub.org/learn/patien...

Our amazing patient reps project has been highlighted in this great blog. 'Using patient stories to create significant impact and improve cancer patient experience,' has been published by patient safety charity Patient Safety Learning. Read it here: ow.ly/7Bzy50YBF8Z @patientsafetylearning.org

📄 In #JCPP: Editorial Perspective: How spreading mental health information can be (un‐) helpful – a dynamic systems approach 👉 https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.70055#JCPP#MentalHealthResearch #Editorial

The Inquiry has announced future plans for its listening exercise Every Story Matters. Find out how the largest listening exercise carried out by a UK public inquiry will continue to make a positive impact after the Inquiry ends. covid19.public-inquiry.uk/news/inquiry... #everystorymatters

We need to talk: young people deserve better conversations about cancer.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has developed a new leaflet that can help patients decide what to do if they think a midwife, nurse or nursing associate may have done something wrong. buff.ly/TJOeQ7S

When did public health stop asking who's pushing people in in the river? The upstream-downstream metaphor was always about corporate power. Somewhere along the way, "pushed" became "fell" - and that shift lets the 'manufacturers of illness' off the hook journals.plos.org/globalpublic...

When I published this article in 2020, England was in the middle of reforming Healthwatch, and it has now scrapped it entirely. The pace of system reform south of the border is dizzying. doi.org/10.1016/j.he...

Today, MSF is going public with something we've been fighting behind closed doors for months: Gilead will not sell us their new HIV drug, lenacapavir. The sticking point isn't even price, they just refuse to sell. Open letter linked + explainer 🧵1/ www.doctorswithoutborders.org/latest/gilea...

Brilliant series of articles, so pleased to have contributed 👇

Desperately sad case reported here: www.thetimes.com/article/b90d... The coroner agrees with people who spoke up about their experiences and those of their loved ones in this report from Healthwatch Hertfordshire and the county public health team: www.healthwatchhertfordshire.co.uk/news/2024-07...

We want to know about your experiences accessing non-emergency patient transport in Oxfordshire. Good or bad, we would like to hear from you by leaving us a short anonymous review in our Feedback Centre and play a part in improving services: healthwatchoxfordshire.co.uk/organisation...

The government just published its Pandemic Preparedness Strategy. TLDR: Some welcome commitments inc. on ventilation. But Clinically Vulnerable people are still not clearly defined or automatically protected, and the prioritisation framework won't arrive until 2027. 1/🧵