Healthwatch Staffordshire

19/08/2026

Our latest e-Bulletin is now available on our website:

https://healthwatchstaffordshire.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/40-HW-Staffs-Bulletin-July-2026.pdf

17/08/2026

💷 A reminder that you can still apply for a grant from our Engagement Fund and earn £500 for your Staffordshire group. We particularly welcome more applications from groups in the Southwest of Staffordshire.

🪢If you are a charity, CIC or community group in Staffordshire, you could earn £500 for your group if your members can provide feedback on Health and Social Care Services in Staffordshire

🪙We have a pot of money – our Engagement Fund – set aside for this activity with our research topics for this year outlined below. You can also participate if you can give any general feedback on health and social care services in the area.

a) Carers, Care of Older People and End of Life Planning
This project will investigate carers’ experiences of care and support for older people, focusing on end-of-life care, the use and understanding of ReSPECT forms and Advance Care Planning.

b) Diabetes and Footcare
For this project we want to hear about patients’ experiences of Diabetic Footcare. We are teaming up with John Bridges, the Chair of the East Staffordshire and Surrounds Diabetes UK Patient Network for this project.

c) Social Care in Staffordshire

👉To register your interest please email us on [email protected]

Your group will then be invited to join our project on the Basecamp platform.
From Basecamp you then can apply for the Engagement Fund using the simple online Form.

This year we are expecting groups to make the arrangements to collect feedback from their members using paper or online forms that we will provide. Please note that it will take us a while to sort through your applications, so don’t worry if you do not get a response immediately!

We hope to hear from you shortly.

The Healthwatch Staffordshire Team.

14/08/2026

North Staffordshire Workshop on Diabetes and Footcare

As part of our Deep Dive work on Diabetes and Footcare, John Bridges is running workshops on this topic.

We would like to promote this workshop aimed at residents of North Staffordshire which is taking place on Tuesday 6th October at Port Vale Football Club in Burslem, 12pm to 4.30pm.

If you would like to attend, you need to register for a place with John Bridges by emailing him on [email protected] and include details of any special dietary requirements. The deadline for registration is 28th August but please register as soon as you can to help with planning.

Please share these details with anyone else you think may be interested in attending.

Thank you very much.

13/08/2026

We are sharing this blog from Spinal Muscular Atrophy UK to raise awareness of this condition, as August is SMA Awareness Month. You can find out more about their services on their page or visit their website: https://smauk.org.uk/

We’re kicking off SMA Awareness Month with reflections from the Chief Executives of SMA UK and Muscular Dystrophy UK 📣

As we launch this year’s campaign, Every Piece of the Puzzle, they look back on the progress our community has made, celebrate the people who have made it possible, and reflect on the work still to come. Together, their messages remind us that every breakthrough is built through collective effort, and that every person has a part to play in shaping the future of the SMA community!

Read the full blog here 👉 smauk.org.uk/1hbe

10/08/2026

Summer school-aged immunisation catch-up community clinics

💉School-aged immunisation services provide catch-up community clinics for school-aged children who have missed vaccinations at school. MPFT are providing clinics across Staffordshire this Summer.

☎️Please Note: YOU MUST BOOK AN APPOINTMENT !!!

📅More information on when and where the clinics are being held is available on the MPFT website here:
https://www.mpft.nhs.uk/services/school-age-immunisation-service -vaccination-clinics

07/08/2026

We would like to give you a reminder about one of this year’s new research (Deep Dive) projects on Diabetes and Podiatry.

📍For this work we are teaming up with John Bridges, the Chair of the East Staffordshire and Surrounds Diabetes UK Patient Network.

👣To learn more about the importance of footcare for Diabetes patients and to tell us how services are working for you, please use this link to complete the Patient Survey on Diabetic Footcare and Podiatry Services in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent. https://forms.gle/mBg9GaBKJAJWb4mD9

Alternatively you can scan the attached QR code.



You can also see details of future East Staffordshire Network meetings at:
https://healthwatchstaffordshire.co.uk/news/2026-meeting-dates-for-east-staffordshire-and-surrounds-diabetes-uk-patient-network/

06/08/2026

We have been asked to share details of an open day at Princess Street Mosque in Burton-on-Trent this coming Saturday.

Princess Street Masjid has posted that "Everyone is welcome, regardless of faith, background, or belief. Bring your family and friends, ask questions, and enjoy a welcoming atmosphere."

You may even bump into John Bridges or Dave Bassett who are working together on research into Diabetes and Podiatry in Staffordshire.

05/08/2026

For Severe ME Awareness Week 2026, we would like to share this post from ME Association about one person's lived experience with this condition.

04/08/2026

📋This afternoon we are visiting the Stoke-on-Trent Community Diagnostic Centre in Hanley to conduct an Enter and View Visit. This will be carried out by Jackie and Robert from the Healthwatch Staffordshire team along with colleagues from the Research Team at Support Staffordshire

💬‘Enter and View’ visits involve visiting health and social care premises and speaking with staff and service users about how the service is working. The visits are then followed up with a Report. You can view previous reports on our website.
https://healthwatchstaffordshire.co.uk/enter-view-reports/

🩻On their website, the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust explain the purpose of the Centre. They say "The multi-million pound community diagnostic centre has been developed to provide patients with quicker, more convenient access to a wide range of diagnostic services closer to home, helping to reduce waiting times and ease pressure on local hospitals."

PLEASE NOTE "The Stoke-on-Trent Community Diagnostic Centre is not an emergency centre. Emergency care can be sought from NHS 111 or if it is life threatening, please call 999. If you do not have an appointment or referral from your GP you will be redirected to the Walk-in Centre or A&E."

03/08/2026

❓Are You Getting the Social Care You Need?

📣Healthwatch Staffordshire would like to hear about your experiences of accessing social care services provided by Staffordshire County Council.

💁Whether you have requested an assessment, received support following an assessment, or are currently using social care services, your feedback will help us understand what is working well and where improvements are needed.

✔️Access the survey from this link or the attached QR code.
https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/OTK1PM/

👏Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey.