Who are we?
Healthwatch Surrey is an independent organisation that gathers people’s views of health and social care services in the county. We provide evidence-based feedback to commissioners and providers to influence, inform and, if necessary, challenge decisions and plans. You can help to shape, improve, and change local services by sharing your feedback. So, whether you have had a good or bad experience, your views can help to make changes to services in Surrey.
Our work covers all areas of health and social care. This includes GPs, hospitals, dentists, care homes, pharmacies, opticians and more. Join the conversation by sharing your experience!
We can also provide, or signpost to, information about local services and how to access them and offer a free, independent advocacy service for people wishing to make a complaint about NHS care.
Latest Reports and Papers
Insight Bulletin – February 2021
One of the statutory duties of Healthwatch is to obtain the views of local people regarding their needs for, and experiences of, local care services and importantly to make these views known.
This briefing summarises key themes we’ve heard throughout February 2021.
Healthwatch Surrey Annual Report 2019 – 2020
We are delighted to share Healthwatch Surrey’s Annual Report 2019/20.
What are we hearing about Adult Social Care?
One of the statutory duties of Healthwatch Surrey is to listen to the views of local people about their health and social care and to share these views with the organisations who make decisions about local services.
What's new from Healthwatch Surrey
Making vaccination a condition of deployment in older adult care homes
The UK Department of Health and Social Care are seeking your views on a proposal make COVID-19 vaccination a condition … Read more
New Mental Health Support for Surrey’s Schools and Colleges
Local NHS Services and Surrey County Council are working together to introduce new Mental Health Support Teams to schools and … Read more
Sexual Health Services are OPEN
Surrey Specialist Sexual Health Service (CNWL) is open. The service is trying to reduce face to face contact as much … Read more
Case Studies
Information on the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme
Jin’s* son requires hospital treatment and has been told he now needs to go from Woking to a London hospital, for an appointment. He is in receipt of Universal Credit and will struggle to pay the cost of getting to London. He has been unable to get any information from anyone at the hospital or DWP regarding help with the travel costs, so our adviser signposted him to information on the NHS website regarding the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS). He was relieved to know that he could get help with the cost of travel to his appointments.
*Names have been changed to protect identities
Help with funding for long term care at home
Gabriel’s* mother, who is severely disabled and living with the family at home, is receiving care in the home funded by Surrey County Council. However, Gabriel has been told by Surrey County Council that his mother should go into a care home and part-funding would be provided. Neither Gabriel nor his mother wants this to happen, particularly with the current situation and the fact that no visitors are allowed at the care home, so Gabriel wanted to find out about funding for long term care. We provided him with website links to information that would help him ascertain what funding should be available and he now feels empowered to use information to help secure future care for his mother which meets her needs.
*Names have been changed to protect identities
Providing details of emergency dental hubs
Saanvi* was having problems with a wisdom tooth and was in some pain, however she was having difficulty finding an NHS dentist. She had tried searching online and calling, but the dentists she had spoken to told her that they had filled their quota for new patients. We advised Saanvi on how to access dental information on the NHS website, including the customer contact centre. She was also advised of the emergency hubs put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic and how to access them. Saanvi felt she had enough information to be able to access treatment.
*Names have been changed to protect identities
