Healthwatch Milton Keynes

09/10/2026

07/10/2026

Have your say on accessible healthcare information

Are you blind or partially sighted and living in England? RNIB wants to hear about your experiences of accessing healthcare information and communications.

This could include appointment letters, test results, medication information, messages from healthcare services and digital services such as the NHS App. Whether your experiences have been positive, challenging or mixed, your feedback matters.

The survey takes around 10–15 minutes. Your feedback will support RNIB’s work to improve access to healthcare information and communications. This is an England wide survey so please share.

Closing date: Tuesday 20 October 2026. Link to teh survey can be found in comments/bio

06/10/2026

Last night we attended Milton Keynes University Hospital Annual Members’ and were really impressed by the presentation from the Neonatal Unit. It highlighted just how much work the team have put in to helping parents familiarise themselves with the unit before their baby arrives — especially as families don’t awlays expect their newborn to need neonatal care, and it can feel frightening if you’re not prepared.

MKUH’s neonatal team work closely with families to make sure parents feel fully involved and supported throughout their baby’s stay. Their virtual 3D tour, parent videos, and detailed information about the unit give families a clear sense of what the environment looks, feels and sounds like, and explain the different areas of care — from Intensive Care to High Dependency and Special Care. It’s an incredibly helpful resource for any parent who wants to understand what to expect if their baby needs specialist support.

You can explore the Neonatal Unit and its resources - link in the comments

30/09/2026

A genuinely positive Enter & View visit at Woburn Sands Lodge. Enter & View is one of the ways Healthwatch listens to people using local services — visiting care settings to speak directly with residents, observe daily life, and understand what’s working well and where improvements could be made.

At Woburn Sands Lodge, residents spoke about feeling respected, independent and well supported. Staff showed real warmth, professionalism and pride in the care they provide. The home has invested in thoughtful improvements to both indoor and outdoor spaces, creating a welcoming environment that encourages social connection, choice and everyday living.

We were particularly struck by the strong culture of staff wellbeing and development, which shines through in confident, compassionate practice and a calm, inclusive atmosphere for residents. With no recommendations required, this visit highlights what good residential care can look like.

👉 Read the full report and the service’s response. Link the Comments/bio.

26/09/2026

What is Safe Harbour?

Safe Harbour provides an inclusive safe space for families at risk of self harm, su***de and bereavement by su***de in Milton Keynes. Group sessions support families to build communication between them, to help break down stigma and isolation. Connection in helping each other to understand and developing the ability to speak about how they are feeling and to put coping strategies and safety plans in place. The space also provides an opportunity to meet other families with similar lived experiences. You can contact the service by visiting [email protected]

25/09/2026

The Thirlwall Inquiry report has now been published, looking into what happened at the Countess of Chester Hospital during the years when Lucy Letby was employed. The findings are extremely serious. The report sets out how warnings were missed, safeguarding systems failed, and leadership decisions meant babies were not properly protected.

NHS England has asked every Integrated Care Board (ICB) in the country to formally review the report at their next public Board meeting. This means your local ICB will be expected to look closely at the findings, consider what they mean for local services, strengthen safeguarding and oversight and make sure concerns raised by staff or parents are acted on quickly and transparently

This is part of a national effort to make sure families are better protected and that lessons are genuinely learned across the whole health system.

If you’d like to read more about the report and the recommendations, you can find the information on the NHS England website and also where you can find information about Central East Integrated Care Board's Meetings in Public in the links below.

25/09/2026

Mind BLMK's new Falls Prevention Service open from 21st September

The Falls Prevention service is open to anyone over 18 years old and at risk of falls, this may be due to medication side effects, historic medical records, current lifestyle challenges etc. The sessions will include peer support, some light physical activity to strengthen and promote physical wellness, having an open forum to build community connection and psychoeducational discussions. You can self-refer via the website www.mind-blmk.org.uk

23/09/2026

Al’s Pals is looking for new Home Support Volunteers across Milton Keynes.
Cancer can be incredibly isolating, and sometimes people just need a friendly face, a chat over a cup of tea, or someone to walk alongside them during a tough week.

Al's Pals volunteers give around 2 hours a week offering companionship and emotional support to someone affected by cancer. No medical tasks, no previous experience needed — just kindness, reliability and a willingness to listen. Training and DBS checks are provided, and visits can fit around full‑time work, including evenings.

If you or someone in your workplace could spare a little time to make a big difference, we’d love to hear from you.

Find out more and watch Al's Pals short video in the link below:

15/09/2026

Have you heard about Milton Keynes City Council's Stronger Together Board?

It was set up in 2024 to give people more say over how adult social care services are delivered.

The Board brings people with lived experience together with Milton Keynes City Council to help shape and improve adult social care services. It’s a space where real experiences influence decisions, highlight what’s working, and show where support needs to improve. You can head to their website in the link below to find out more and get involved.

15/09/2026

The NHS is redesigning how it listens to patients and carers — and your voice could help shape the future of care.

A new national project led by The King’s Fund is looking at how to make giving feedback simpler, more inclusive and more meaningful. At the moment, people are asked for feedback in lots of different ways, but it’s not always clear where it goes or whether it leads to change. Some communities aren’t heard clearly enough, and many people say they’re asked repeatedly without seeing improvements.

The project will explore how feedback can be easier to give, how digital tools like the NHS App could help, and how patient voice can play a bigger role in improving services.

Residents can get involved. The project will be sharing updates, events and opportunities to take part as the work develops. You can follow progress or contact the team directly at: [email protected].

Here at Healthwatch Milton Keynes we know that with changes proposed that wil see your local Healthwatch abolished, it is more important than ever for local people to help shape future feedback mechanisms and for your experiences must continue to shape better care.

If you’ve shared feedback recently, tell us — what would make the process easier, and what helps you feel your voice leads to change?