Healthwatch Wokingham Borough

15/10/2026

Thank you to everyone who helped make our Racism in Care Forum a success 💙

We're grateful to Alliance for Cohesion and Racial Equality - Acre amd Healthwatch Reading for partnering with us to deliver the forum. A massive thank you to all our speakers, those who shared their lived experiences, community members, faith groups, partner organisations and people who completed our survey prior to the forum.
Your voices, insights and experiences helped shape important conversations about racism in health and social care.

With more than 75 attendees, the forum was an opportunity not only to listen and learn, but to agree on areas of action. Together, attendees identified key priorities and made commitments to help tackle racism and ensure everyone is treated with dignity, respect and fairness when accessing health and social care services.

We've created a webpage where you can 👇
✅ View presentations from the day
✅ Read the Anti-Racist Framework
✅ Explore the commitments and priority actions agreed by attendees
✅ See photos from the event

The real measure of success will be the action that follows. Together with Healthwatch Reading, we'll continue to follow up on the commitments made at the forum to understand what has been implemented and to share progress.

Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust NHS Thames Valley NHS Wokingham Borough University of Reading Project Salama Healthwatch England

Why we held the forumOn 1 October, more than 75 people attended our Racism in Care Forum, delivered through our Thinking Together community engagement model in partnership with Healthwatch Reading and the Alliance for Cohesion and Racial Equality (ACRE).The forum brought together people with lived e...

08/10/2026

Free NHS contraception service now available in Wokingham Borough through Mid Hampshire Healthcare.

Looking for a coil or contraceptive implant fitting, replacement or removal? A free NHS Long-Acting Reversible Contraception (LARC) service is available for Wokingham residents at the Finchampstead Baptist Church Family Hub.

✅ Self-referral available, no GP appointment needed
✅ Short waiting times
✅ Coil and implant insertions, replacements and removals
✅ Local anaesthetic offered as standard for coil fittings, with pain relief options discussed with your clinician

To find out more or refer yourself, visit: www.midhampshirehealthcare.co.uk/larc

08/10/2026

Are you blind or partially sighted? RNIB wants to hear about your experiences of accessing healthcare information and communications by 20th October. All the details follow below 👇

Take this survey powered by surveymonkey.com. Create your own surveys for free.

07/10/2026

📢 Want to know what to do in an emergency and what happens when you call 999 or 111?

Join South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE) and the British Heart Foundation for a free online public talk on Tuesday 20 October at 6.30pm.

Find out how to get the right help when you need it, what happens when you call 999 or 111, and learn simple actions that could help save a life.

There is also an opportunity to ask questions and hear directly from the experts.

📅 Tuesday 20 October
⏰ 6.30pm
💻 Free online event

Find out more and register below 👇
https://www.scas.nhs.uk/public-talk-what-to-do-in-an-emergency/

#999

Join South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS), the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE) and the British Heart Foundation for a free online public talk on Tuesday 20 October at 6:30pm.

07/10/2026

Thank you to our friends at Healthwatch Portsmouth for sharing this handy NHS App tip. If you've noticed the 'Consultations' tab has disappeared from the app, don't worry; it's just moved to the 'Appointment' tab. Find out more below 👇

🔍 Can't find your health records in the NHS App?

You're not alone. Some people told us the 'Consultations' tab had disappeared.

Here's the good news: it hasn't gone. It has moved.

📱 Open the NHS App
🏠 Go to the 'Home' page
📅 Tap 'Appointments'

You'll find your consultations there.

Want a step-by-step guide? Read it here 👉 https://www.healthwatchportsmouth.co.uk/nhs-app-update-consultations-have-moved-to-the-appointments-tab

06/10/2026

Do you look after someone who had a difficult experience when they were discharged from the hospital?

Did leaving the hospital take longer than it should have?

We're working with Healthwatch England on a national project and want to drill down into this issue – identifying where and how the hospital discharge process can be made better for patients and their carers.

Tell us more by clicking on the link below 👇
https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/hwreading/

Survey closes on Friday 9th October.

05/10/2026

📢 Our project summary report is now published!
We’re pleased to share the final summary report, bringing together four key headlines and priority actions based on what local people told us across the borough and Reading.

The report includes the infographics we’ve been sharing throughout the project, alongside an overview of the key headlines.

Your feedback is helping to shape conversations about digital healthcare and how services can better meet people's needs.

Read the report and explore the infographics below 👇
https://www.healthwatchwokingham.co.uk/post/summary-report-and-infographic-series-published

💬 Have something to say about the NHS App?
We'd still love to hear from you. You can share your feedback (positive or negative) anytime by phone, email, online, or in the comments below. Find our contact details at the top of the page.

We are pleased to share our summary report and infographic series from our NHS App project, in partnership with Healthwatch Reading. Throughout the project, we listened to people across the borough and Reading about their experiences of using the NHS App. Through our joint survey, community conversa...

05/10/2026

The Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust has moved to .net email addresses. Emails sent to existing .nhs.uk addresses will continue to be forwarded for a limited time, so there's nothing patients need to do right now.

The Trust is updating its website and other platforms with the new contact details. If you experience any difficulties getting in touch after 5 October, please contact the switchboard on 0118 322 5111.

For full details, see the original post below. 👇

This week our Trust moved our email addresses to NHS.net. This means all our email addresses are now .net, instead of .nhs.uk.

There is nothing you need to do for the time being as emails sent to our current email addresses will be automatically redirected for a limited period of time. We will be working to update our website and other platforms with new contact information shortly.

If you have any trouble contacting anyone at the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust after Monday 5 October, please contact our Switchboard on 0118 322 5111.

24/09/2026

"One app to rule them all, please!"

This was one of many comments we heard during our NHS App project from people trying to navigate the NHS App, multiple healthcare apps, websites and systems.

Our latest infographic, and the final infographic in our NHS App project series, shares the experiences residents across the borough and Reading shared with us about digital healthcare, including what works well and the challenges people face 👇

Alongside completing our NHS App survey, residents shared their experiences of using the NHS App and accessing healthcare through other digital services during community conversations and engagement activities across the borough and Reading.A key theme that emerged from this feedback is a need for a...

23/09/2026

Lots of smiling faces, great conversations and a brilliant Freshers’ fair yesterday at the University of Reading - thank you for having us!✨

Together with Healthwatch Reading, we had some great conversations and really valued the feedback and experiences shared by students.

It was also great to meet so many other local organisations and charities to find out more about the fantastic work happening in our community.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by and said hello - we really enjoyed meeting you.