1. Do you have something to say about domestic abuse services?

    News -

    Are you part of a group or Forum that would be interested to in discussing housing, domestic abuse and increasing safety? Perhaps you would be willing to share your own personal story about domestic abuse?

  2. What should happen when you're diagnosed with dementia

    Advice and Information -

    Being diagnosed with dementia can be a big shock, and it can be hard to know what to do next. Take a look at our guide to find out what support you should receive.

  3. What should I expect after being referred for mental health support?

    Advice and Information -

    Your mental wellness is as important as your physical health but seeking help can be daunting. Here's what to expect when you seek support for your mental health.

  4. How can your pharmacy help you?

    Advice and Information -

    Did you know that pharmacies provide advice and information on minor illnesses and ailments? Take a look at how they can help you.

  5. What to expect when waiting for care

    Advice and Information -

    Waiting for planned medical care or surgery can be a frustrating time. That’s why it’s so important that while you wait, you get regular, clear and accessible updates so that you can plan your next steps.

  6. Vaccine programme : boosters and vaccinations for children

    News -

    Booster vaccinations are already being offered across Kent & Medway and the vaccine programme will now extend to include children aged 12 and above following the recent Government announcement.

  7. Would you like to improve community mental health services?

    News -

    Maybe you could help?

  8. Have your say on plans for social care in Kent

    News -

    If you, or a member or your family, needs help to remain independent at home, gets support for being a carer, or lives in a care home, then chances are they are funded by adult social care services.

  9. How are you really feeling?

    Advice and Information -

    aaand breathe. Are you stressed, anxious or depressed? You’re not alone.

  10. What is adult social care?

    Advice and Information -

    Do you or a loved one need help with social care? Read the article below and find out answers to key questions about who can access adult social care and how to pay for it.

  11. New service for men who are victims of domestic abuse in Kent

    News -

    A new service dedicated to supporting men who are victims of domestic abuse has been launched in Kent & Medway this week.

  12. Nearly half of all women don’t check their breasts. Are you one of them?

    Advice and Information -

    Every 10 minutes, someone in England is diagnosed with breast cancer. That’s 55,000 women a year but men can get breast cancer too with 370 men receiving diagnosis every year.

  13. Help the Non Emergency Patient Transport Service to be better

    News -

    If you need help to attend an NHS appointment, you may have used the Non Emergency Patient Transport Service to help you get there.
    This is a free transport service that is available to some, but not all, patients based on their eligibility.

  14. State of Care : our response

    News -

    Today, the health and care regulator, the Care Quality Commission, published their annual review of NHS and social care support. Read our response.

  15. NHS dentistry: We're calling for the Government to invest

    News -

    We have co-signed an open letter addressed to the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak calling for a recovery plan for NHS dentistry.

  16. People living in deprived areas waiting longer for hospital treatment

    News -

    In partnership with the King’s Fund, we are calling for urgent action to improve peoples’ experience of delays to their treatment.

  17. Did you find it easy to get your covid vaccine?

    Report -

    Last year, 77 people got in touch with us about the Covid vaccination programme. 48% of these people were people struggling to ‘grab their jab’.

  18. Final decision on Kent's stroke services

    News -

    The Secretary of State has today agreed proposals for three new stroke units to be created for Kent & Medway.

  19. How was your recent visit to the community mental health service?

    News -

    Have you been to visit the community mental health service recently? Did you get the support that you needed? What would have made your experience better?

  20. World Diabetes Day 14th November

    Advice and Information -

    World Diabetes Day on Nov 14th will bring together millions of people around the world to raise awareness of diabetes and help people to understand what it’s really like to live with Diabetes.

  21. Do you look after someone who has recently been discharged from hospital?

    News -

    We'd love to hear from you!

  22. Do you have a view about pharmacies in Kent?

    News -

    People are being invited to share their thoughts about the need for pharmacies in their local community. Are there enough pharmacies in your area?

  23. Changes to Cardiology services in West Kent

    News -

    The NHS is considering making changes to cardiology services in West Kent and they need to hear your thoughts.

  24. Are you looking after someone? Do you know your rights?

    Advice and Information -

    Each year on November 25th we celebrate a Carers Rights Day.

  25. Giving the Trans & Non-binary community in Kent a voice

    Report -

    For six months we have been working with the Trans & Non-binary community here in Kent listening to their experiences and exploring what could be changed to support them better.

  26. Join a public meeting to hear about changes to Cardiology in West Kent

    News -

    The NHS is considering plans to change cardiology services in West Kent. Join their public meeting to hear more details and share your thoughts.

  27. COVID-19 vaccine: what you need to know

    Advice and Information -

    Take a look at what you need to know about the COVID-19 vaccination programme, including how you will know when it's your turn, where to go, and why it's important.

  28. Social care: What is in the new plan?

    Advice and Information -

    Find out what's in the Government's new social care plan and how it compares with what people have told us.

  29. What did we hear in September?

    Report -

    In September we reached 2,220 people. This is what they told us.

  30. Helping people to get registered with a GP

    News -

    Many people come to us because they are struggling to register with a GP near to them. This month we've been able to help two families to get registered.

  31. Are you under 18, live in East Kent or Swale and have a long term health condition?

    News -

    This is your chance to speak up.

    The NHS want to hear from you because they want to improve the way your care is organised and co-ordinated.

  32. Would you like to lose weight but don’t know how?

    Advice and Information -

    In our heart of hearts, all of us know that we should be looking after ourselves, especially during a pandemic.

  33. Last chance to have your say on changes to heart services in West Kent

    News -

    This week is your last chance to share your thoughts about changes to cardiology services in West Kent.

  34. What did we hear in October?

    Report -

    In October, 1,801 people came to us for information, support or to tell us their experience of using a health or social service.

  35. We're helping people every day

    News -

    Every month, we give support, information and signposting to nearly 2,000 people.

    Every day, we help individual people. This month we helped someone who needed a dental check up before they could start medical treatment.

  36. Have you had your smear test recently? Did you know 75% of cervical cancers can be prevented by having a smear test?

    Advice and Information -

    Nine women are diagnosed with cervical cancer every day in the UK. 75% of cervical cancers can be prevented by cervical screening (smear tests).

  37. Have your say on Kent's strategy for Carers

    News -

    Nearly 150,000 people are thought to be looking after someone in Kent right now. Many of them may not realise that they are carers.

  38. Spotlight on reducing digital exclusion

    Report -

    Many organisations in Kent are working hard to tackle the inequality caused by our increasing reliance on technology. We decided to review one of these projects to see what difference it is really making to people.

  39. Getting you answers about the GP eConsult service

    News -

    Many of you have been in touch to share your experience of using the GP eConsult service. We shared your stories with the right decision makers and we've got an update for you.

  40. Plans to tackle NHS backlog : our response

    News -

    In a new report, MPs have today warned that tackling the backlog caused by the pandemic is an "unquantifiable" challenge and have called for a broad national health and care recovery plan to be introduced.

  41. The Accessible Information Standard - what you can expect from services

    Advice and Information -

    The Accessible Information Standard is mandatory for all organisations that provide NHS or adult social care. Here’s some key information about the accessible communications you should expect from services.

  42. What did we hear in November?

    Report -

    In November, 3,571 people came to us for information, support or to tell us their experience of using a health or social service.

  43. How has lockdown affected people's mental health and dignity?

    News -

    New research highlights the challenges faced by health and social care services in England and the importance of feedback for improving care.

  44. £6.8million to help tackle the lack of dentist appointments

    News -

    The NHS has today announced emergency funding to help create hundreds of new dentist appointments.

  45. Did you know today is Dignity Action Day?

    News -

    Dignity is precious. It is especially important when we are feeling more vulnerable such as when we are in hospital, being looked after at home or living in a care home.

  46. Changes to vascular services

    News -

    The NHS is asking for your thoughts about the future of vascular services in Kent & Medway

  47. Everything you need to know about a Colonoscopy

    Advice and Information -

    Thousands of people have a colonoscopy every week. It’s a very common procedure but do you actually know what it is, or what it involves? We’ve got everything you need to know.

  48. Have you heard of Raynaud’s?

    Advice and Information -

    You probably know someone with Raynaud’s without even realising it. February is Raynaud’s Awareness Month.

  49. We chat to the Director of Adult Social Care about Carers

    News -

    We asked Chris McKenzie from Kent County Council, your questions about Kent's adult carers strategy.

  50. Epilepsy is more than seizures

    Advice and Information -

    Epilepsy is one of the world’s oldest known medical conditions which affects around 600,000 people in the UK. 87 people are diagnosed with epilepsy every day, but many people still don’t understand it or talk about it.