News and reports

We champion public and patient voice in health and care, we listen to people’s views and make sure they are heard by the people in charge. Volunteer with us and make a real difference. We want to ensure all voices are heard and communities are represented.

Healthwatch East Sussex (HWES) has published the findings from its research into Putting a Face to Unmet Need, a new report on the unmet health and care needs of East Sussex residents. The report calls for better communication between local health and care services to provide a more integrated and holistic experience for service users.

We often hear from people looking for more information and advice about what they can do if they have concerns or complaints. Making a complaint can feel daunting and scary, and you might be wondering whether it’s worth the time and effort.

Our projects and initiatives have generated insight on health and care issues which we have recently published in a number of reports setting out our key findings and recommendations.

Receiving a dementia diagnosis can be a life-changing event, but knowing what support is available to you and what steps to take next can help you or a loved one process the diagnosis and plan for the future.

There are 944,000 people living with dementia in the UK. That’s roughly 1 in 11 people over the age of 65 and 1 in 71 in the whole population of the UK. As this number is set to increase with an ageing population understanding what support is available for you or a loved one following a Dementia diagnosis can make all the difference.

Mental Health Awareness Week, hosted by the Mental Health Foundation, aims to get people talking about their mental health and reduce the stigma that can stop people from asking for help. This year it takes place from the 15th to 21st May and the theme is ‘Anxiety’.

On Friday 12th May the Care Quality Commission (CQC) published its long-awaited report into University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (UHSx). On Friday 12th May the Care Quality Commission (CQC) published its long-awaited report into University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (UHSx).

Each quarter we collate and analyse what we have heard from the public and patients about health and care services.

Our quarterly report provides an overview of the enquiries that we have received via our Information & Signposting service, as well as the reviews that have been left on our Feedback Centre.

In January 2023, the three Sussex Healthwatch undertook a short poll to gather people's recent experiences of accessing NHS dentistry.

60% of patients we heard from told Healthwatch they are not confident about their ability to access NHS dental services over the next 12 months

The Healthwatch East Sussex Information and Signposting (I&S) Service helps people to access the right health or social care service or organisation for their needs.

Each month we feedback on the themes and issues people have contacted us about.

NHS Sussex is reviewing the situation across the county for people who need transport to, from and between NHS healthcare and social care settings. These are known as Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services (NEPTS).

Healthwatch has reached a significant milestone – 10 years of putting people’s voices at the heart of health and social care. The health and social care landscape has changed a lot in ten years, but thanks to you taking the time to share your story with us we’ve been able to champion your voice to help improve care.