1. What should you expect when it comes to care for your teeth?

    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.

  2. How can you find an NHS dentist?

    Advice and Information -

    Are you having trouble finding an NHS funded dentist? Read our tips on what to do if you’re facing problems.

  3. Experiences of dental services in the North East

    Report -

    Healthwatch teams across the North East region saw a significant increase in concerns about accessing NHS dental care during 2021. Eight local Healthwatch worked together to gather people’s experiences in the region. This report outlines our collective survey findings from March 2020 to January 2022.

  4. Experiences of dental services in Gateshead

    Report -

    Healthwatch teams across the North East region saw a significant increase in concerns about accessing NHS dental care during 2021. Eight local Healthwatch worked together to gather people’s experiences in the region. This report outlines survey findings for people living in and accessing dental care in Gateshead from March 2020 to December 2021.

  5. Lack of NHS dental appointments widens health inequalities

    News -

    With living costs on the rise, Healthwatch England’s new findings show that health inequalities are widening as people in every part of the country struggle to pay for dental care.

  6. Dentistry in Newcastle & Gateshead

    Report -

    Health and Social Care Committee inquiry into
    NHS Dentistry Submission

  7. Top 10 ways to get the most out of your next dental appointment

    Advice and Information -

    How can I get the most out of my next visit to the dentist? Take a look at our tips to help you prepare for your appointment and make sure you understand your treatment and how much it will cost.

  8. Where can I go to get help for my health out of hours?

    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.

  9. What is domestic abuse and how can I get support?

    Advice and Information -

    If you are experiencing or feel at risk of domestic abuse, or are worried about someone who might be, find out where you can go for advice and help.

  10. What is Monkeypox and who can get a vaccine?

    Advice and Information -

    Find out the signs and symptoms of monkeypox, what to do if you think you have it and who is eligible for a vaccine.

  11. Healthwatch Gateshead and Newcastle October online forum

    Blog -

    Our monthly forums are a chance for anyone and everyone to learn more about health and social care services in our area. We aim to keep you updated with any changes to services in particular, and health and social care in general. This is for sharing, so while we have a lot to say, we also want to hear your views and feedback, and answer your questions.

  12. NHS dentistry myth busting

    Advice and Information -

    Healthwatch in the North East have acted on feedback from local people. Together, we have produced a ‘myth busting’ booklet to dispel the most common rumours about NHS dentistry.

    The leaflet gives the facts about what it means to be registered with a practice, why you may be offered a private appointment and what is emergency care?

    Download the NHS dentistry myth busting booklet

  13. Patient safety incident reporting

    News -

    Did you know members of the public can now report patient safety incidents directly to the NHS’s National Reporting and Learning System (NRLS)?

  14. Lost in translation

    Report -

    In early 2020 we worked with The Gateshead Housing Company. We gathered experiences of their service users on accessing Arabic interpreting and translation services for health appointments in Gateshead.

  15. Healthwatch Participation in Practice Award 2019-2022 interim report

    Report -

    It has been a contractual requirement for each GP practice since April 2016 to have an active and involved Patient Participation Group (PPG).

    We wanted to create a best practice award for PPGs aims to increase and improve the involvement of patients in their GP practice. Several GP practices in Newcastle and Gateshead participated in our pilot from autumn 2019 to February 2021. This interim report outlines what we did.