Listening where it matters most in North Yorkshire
On a rainy morning in Harrogate Hospital, at a busy auction mart in Skipton, or in a quiet care home in Scarborough, you might spot a Healthwatch volunteer chatting with someone about their care.
Whilst not everyone has heard of Healthwatch, across North Yorkshire, our volunteers help make sure local people’s experiences shape decisions about health and social care. In a county as large and rural as ours, where getting to an appointment can mean a long drive or two buses, people speaking up really matters.
From market towns to coastal communities and remote villages, volunteers help us reach people who might otherwise go unheard. They listen, share information and help people understand their NHS and social care options.
Healthwatch is powered by volunteers who give their time to turn real conversations into practical improvements. Behind every report we publish and every recommendation we make, there are volunteers helping to make that work possible.
As one volunteer put it:
“You meet such a range of people. Every event is different and you always learn something new.”
Let's look at how our volunteers help us.
Visiting care homes
Enter and View is a legal power that allows Healthwatch representatives to visit certain health and care services to see how they are run and talk to people about their experiences.
Our trained volunteers visit care homes across the county to understand what daily life is really like. They speak with residents, relatives and staff about dignity, communication, activities and the care environment.
These visits are not formal inspections. They are independent snapshots of care in action. Volunteers then produce reports that highlight what is working well and suggest practical improvements.
Because of this work, services have reflected on areas such as communication, inclusion and access to healthcare. At the same time, volunteers make sure good practice is recognised and celebrated.
Improving access to GP services
Volunteers also visit GP practices to share practical resources such as our GP access guide. This helps patients understand how to get the right care more quickly and can reduce unnecessary appointments and duplication for practices.
They also reviewed 84 GP practice websites across North Yorkshire. Their feedback led to clearer appointment guidance, better accessibility features and updated contact information.
Small changes like these can make a big difference when someone is trying to book an appointment or find urgent help.
Gathering stories that shape local decisions
At the heart of volunteering with Healthwatch is something simple but powerful – listening.
Volunteers collect experiences from people across North Yorkshire, both positive and negative, and feed these back to the organisations responsible for planning and providing services.
What people tell us has supported projects including:
- Exploring the need for extra support at health appointments
- Understanding the barriers farmers face in accessing healthcare and helping bring services directly to farmers and their families
- Listening to midlife women about alcohol and health
- Making healthcare information easier to understand
- Gathering feedback on patient transport and access to healthcare
- Understanding experiences of adult social care
In our farming work alone, volunteers helped gather feedback from over 200 people. They heard about physical pain, stress, isolation and the practical barriers of rural life. That evidence helped influence solutions such as health checks at auction marts and discussions at parliamentary level.
Volunteers have also helped develop surveys, promote them locally and gather responses, ensuring that our work reflects what communities across the county are telling us.
As one volunteer shared:
“It’s rewarding to know that the conversations we have can lead to improvements in local care.”
Feeling supported to make a difference
In our recent volunteer survey, volunteers shared their experiences with us. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive.
Eighty five percent said they feel supported by the Healthwatch staff and management team. Many described their role as rewarding and purposeful. Volunteers spoke about feeling welcomed, well prepared and listened to.
Volunteering with Healthwatch is varied and often independent. Many of our volunteers give their time alongside work, caring responsibilities and other commitments. Knowing that they feel confident and valued is essential to sustaining this work across such a large county.
As one volunteer shared:
“Being part of Healthwatch gives me a sense of purpose. It feels good to contribute to my local community.”
Varied, meaninful and rewarding
From visiting care homes, to reviewing GP practice websites, to speaking with farmers to help bring care closer to them and listening to mums about care after birth, volunteering with Healthwatch North Yorkshire offers a wide range of opportunities.
Because of our volunteers, information is clearer, websites are easier to use and services have made practical changes. Most importantly, people know that their experiences matter.
We simply could not do this work without them.
In a county like North Yorkshire, where distance, rurality and an ageing population can create real challenges, local voices are vital. Our volunteers help make sure those voices are heard and acted upon.
And for that, we are hugely grateful.
