What we've heard about Healthwatch - and what we're doing about it
We asked the people and organisations we work with across North Yorkshire to tell us what they really think of Healthwatch. They told us what we’re doing well, where the gaps are, and what we could do better.
From NHS teams and councils to local charities, universities, and GP practices, we received a wide range of honest feedback. Here’s what we heard and how we’re acting on it.
In brief
- We asked local partners and professionals to share their honest views on our work.
- Feedback was overwhelmingly positive—especially around our independence, public voice role, and useful reports.
- Some challenges were raised, including limited follow-up visibility and difficulty reaching rural areas.
- We’re already making changes and planning future work based on what we’ve heard.
A quick look at the feedback
Here's how we rated:
- 4.9/5 – Our role in ensuring the public voice is heard
- 4.5/5 – Usefulness of our reports
- 4.6/5 – Our value as a partner in joint projects
- 4.3/5 – Our contribution to improving health and care services
- 4.1/5 – Our impact on driving service improvements
The challenge and importance of local voices
North Yorkshire is the largest county in England, covering over 3,000 square miles. It includes cities, market towns, and some of the country’s most remote villages and farms.
Many people here face long travel times, patchy public transport, and limited digital access when trying to get care. That’s why having an independent, trusted organisation like Healthwatch matters. Our job is to make sure people’s voices are heard—especially when they might otherwise be ignored, overlooked, or misunderstood.
"Healthwatch North Yorkshire is an independent, trusted voice"
What people said about our role
People we work with told us they value our independence, fairness, and focus on listening—particularly to those who often feel left out of the system.
“Healthwatch North Yorkshire is very good and insightful. They are a great partner to work with.” – North Yorkshire Council
“Healthwatch give a voice to those who can't or won't be heard by larger organisations.” – University of York
“Healthwatch is a well-known name the public feel confident in using.” – North Yorkshire Council
“They listen face-to-face—and that makes all the difference.” – South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Our ability to reach people like farmers, unpaid carers, and those living with mental health conditions was highlighted as a key strength.
Our reports are being read - and used
People said our reports are clear, accessible, and focus on issues that others often overlook. We don’t just gather stats. We listen to stories, and we dig into what works, what doesn’t, and what could be improved.
“The farming report was a great introduction to voices I hadn’t previously heard.” – University of York
“The postnatal care report was really useful—well explained and easy to follow.” – NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board
“The rural services report is now shaping our commissioning work.” – NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board
“Mental health experiences were presented in a very professional and understandable way.” – Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust
Some people asked for more visibility about what happens after our reports are shared. In response, we’ve added a dedicated impact section to our website and created short summaries to help show what’s changed as a result of our work:
Helping shape local services together
Partners told us we bring a useful perspective into local planning and improvement work. They credited us for keeping people’s voices at the centre of the conversation when it comes to decisions around their care and how things could be improved.
We've contributed to a range of areas, including:
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Raising awareness of barriers to healthcare in rural areas
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Improving mental health support through the introduction of mental health practitioners in GP practices.
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Helping shape better postnatal care (care at home and in the community) for new mothers
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Listening to unpaid carers and pushing for their voices to be heard
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Supporting cancer awareness in underrepresented communities
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Improving how health information is presented to meet people’s needs, including improvements to accessible information in GP practices, hospitals and social care.
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Helping shape autism plans with North Yorkshire Council and the NHS so people feel included.
“Their input helps shape the vision of our programmes and keeps things focused on what really matters.” – Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust
“A great partner—they bring people together and challenge when needed, in a fair and useful way.” – North Yorkshire Council
“Healthwatch have always been very supportive and professional in their approach—providing challenge, but also helping find solutions.” – Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust
“Their insight into public experiences brings a unique and essential perspective to the table.” – NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board
“Joint leadership with Community First Yorkshire on the rural healthcare summit has been invaluable.” – North Yorkshire Council
“We’re really grateful to everyone who took the time to give us honest feedback. It’s encouraging to know we’re making a difference—and just as important to hear where we could do more."
Strengths and challenges
What we’re doing well:
- Independent voice that people trust
- Clear, easy-to-read reports
- Strong relationships with organisations and communities
- Friendly, knowledgeable, and professional team
- Good understanding of local issues
What’s getting in the way:
- Limited resources and staff capacity (underfunding of Healthwatch)
- Reaching remote and rural areas
- Difficulty tracking what happens after reports are shared
- Some teams unaware of our full offer
- High demand means we can only take on a few topics at a time
One local doctor from a local GP practice said:
“You’re spread too thin [due to underfunding]—but you do good work.”
What people want us to focus on next
People suggested these areas for future work:
- Men’s mental health
- Helping people understand NHS changes
- Transport to and from health appointments
- Care homes
- Health information for families and young children
- Digital exclusion and access
- Making outpatient clinics (a place you go for a medical appointment or check-up, but you don’t stay overnight) more efficient
- Reaching more underrepresented groups
We’ve taken these ideas on board as we shape our plans for the year ahead.
You said - we're acting on it.
We asked people we work with to be honest—and they were. You told us where we’re doing well, where there are gaps, and what you’d like us to focus on next. Here’s how we’re responding.
You said you want clearer updates after our reports are shared.
We’re responding with follow-up summaries (reports and infographics), newsletters, and a new impact section on our website.
You said we’re stretched and can’t cover everything.
We’re focusing on projects where we can make the biggest difference—and being open about our capacity.
You said we should do more in rural communities.
We’re building stronger local connections with organisations, charities and the NHS who are working with people to highlight the work being done and planned and so more people can have their voices heard.
You said men’s mental health, young families, and NHS changes need more attention.
We’re including these in our project planning and future discussions with the Healthwatch team.
Looking ahead: New focus areas for Healthwatch North Yorkshire
We're already taking this feedback on board. This is what we're working on:
Alcohol and midlife women's health
We’re already taking this feedback on board. One of our upcoming projects will explore alcohol and midlife women’s health in North Yorkshire, a topic that’s often overlooked in public health conversations.
We’ll be listening to women aged 40–64 about their experiences with alcohol use, health, and wellbeing—particularly in rural and semi-rural areas where access to support is more limited. This age group can face unique pressures around menopause, mental health, caring responsibilities, and social isolation. We want to understand how alcohol fits into these challenges, and where services could do more to offer relevant, timely help.
This project will help ensure that public health messages and services reflect the real-life experiences of women—not assumptions.
Improving access to care for people living in rural communities
Improving access to care for people living in rural communities continues to be a priority. In many areas of North Yorkshire, health and social care services are separated by long distances, limited public transport, and unreliable digital connections. These challenges affect not only patients, but also the people who support them—local carers, GPs, nurses, and volunteers.
In our blog on rural reflections, we shared what we heard from professionals working on the ground. They spoke about postcode lotteries, burnout in isolated roles, and systems not designed for rural realities. We’ll continue working alongside communities and local partners to push for fairer access to care, and to bring more rural voices into decision-making.
"North Yorkshire is a big place, with real challenges in access and fairness—but we remain focused on making sure everyone’s voice is heard and taken seriously. That’s what drives our work.”
