1. Pharmacy services in Islington

    Report -

    We surveyed 117 local residents to see if they were aware of additional services available from local pharmacies

  2. Black and minority ethnic groups accessing services in Islington 2016/17

    Report -

    207 local residents gave us their views on pharmacy, lifestyle and well-being, A&E, interpreting services, and GP referrals.

  3. Emergency department, general practice, or pharmacy services?

    Report -

    A number of people use hospital emergency departments when they could be seen by a GP or in their local pharmacy. What factors influence how we decide where we need to be seen?

  4. Black and minority ethnic groups accessing services in Islington 2015/16

    Report -

    Local residents gave us their views on hospital appointments and patient choice, GP services, and keeping fit and healthy.

  5. Islington Patient Group November 2019 supporting materials

    Report -

    Find materials for this meeting of the Islington Patient Group.

  6. Should I see a pharmacist instead of a doctor?

    Advice and Information -

    Avoid the wait at the GP and know when to visit your pharmacist instead. Look at how your pharmacist can help you.

  7. What are people telling us about e-consult?

    News -

    For patients who are comfortable using computers e-consult can be a convenient and user-friendly method of getting in contact with the GP surgery. For patients who struggle with or cannot use computers, e-consult can be a serious barrier to access.

  8. Winter Wellness fact sheet

    Report -

    Correct as of 26 January 2022

  9. What medical support are you entitled to if you’re new to the UK?

    Advice and Information -

    For new arrivals to the UK it can be confusing where to go if you need medical assistance. Here we outline your rights as a refugee, where you can access emergency help and how to register for a GP.

  10. Find out about high blood pressure

    Advice and Information -

    One in five people in Islington have high blood pressure but only half know that they do. Left untreated, high blood pressure can lead to heart attack and stroke. The only way to find out whether you have high blood pressure is to get it measured.

  11. Spotlight on volunteering

    Blog -

    Jenni volunteers as a Health Champion. As Covid restrictions ease we are looking forward to getting back out into the community and speaking to local residents again.

  12. Healthwatch hypertension information campaign kicks off in style

    News -

    Our staff and volunteers have been offering free blood pressure tests and raising awareness of the dangers of high blood pressure at Callyfest and on Chapel Market.

  13. Mystery shopping the accessibility of Islington pharmacies

    Report -

    Healthwatch Islington volunteers and staff visited 40 Islington pharmacies. The aim of these visits was to observe the physical space of the pharmacy and comment on its accessibility.

  14. Healthwatch volunteers visit pharmacies in Islington

    News -

    Our volunteers visited local pharmacies to see how accessible they were for people in wheelchairs or with limited mobility.

  15. Support for stopping smoking

    Advice and Information -

    Stop smoking services are free, friendly, and can massively boost your chances of quitting for good.

  16. Pharmacy services: discovering what's on offer in Islington

    Advice and Information -

    You might be surprised by the range of support that's available from your local pharmacy. Residents on low incomes who are classed as socially vulnerable can access free medicines for minor ailments.

  17. Residents from communities experiencing health inequalities share feedback on health services

    Report -

    We asked people about their experiences of seeing a GP, using pharmacy services and getting treatment for Long Covid.

  18. Choose the right NHS service for you and your family

    News -

    The Royal College of Nursing has announced that members will take strike action from Sunday 30 April to Monday 1 May 2023.

  19. Residents rate pharmacy services highly and see them as the easiest health services to access

    News -

    Many of the people we spoke to wanted to see pharmacies offering more preventative and diagnostic services. Health checks, blood tests, and cholesterol tests were services people said they could access more easily at a pharmacy.

  20. Feedback on smoking cessation and pulmonary rehabilitation services in Islington

    Report -

    We spoke to 98 smokers and ex-smokers from communities experiencing health inequalities.

  21. How can you save money on your Hormone Replacement Therapy?

    Advice and Information -

    A new scheme could see women across England save hundreds of pounds yearly on their Hormone Replacement Therapy with a prepayment certificate.

  22. Residents give feedback on support services for stopping smoking

    News -

    We spoke to 65 residents from communities experiencing health inequalities. All were smokers or ex-smokers. Few had taken up the offer of support to give up.

  23. Celebrating the work of Healthwatch with diverse communities.

    Blog -

    Yussuf Ahmed is the Coordinator at Islington Somali Community, an organisation belonging to our Diverse Communities Health Voice partnership. In this guest blog, Yussuf talks about the benefits of the collaboration.

  24. Our annual report 2022-2023

    Report -

    It's been a great year of growth for Healthwatch Islington. We are the independent champion for people who use health and social care services in the borough.

  25. Healthwatch tackles high blood pressure

    News -

    We helped over 1,300 people improve their understanding of hypertension and identified over 130 people with undiagnosed hypertension, whom we were able to point in the direction of their GP or community pharmacy for further tests.

  26. Raising awareness of hypertension in Islington

    Report -

    We helped over 1,300 people improve their understanding of hypertension.

  27. Who can use your confidential patient information?

    Advice and Information -

    Confidential patient information identifies you and says something about your health, care or treatment. You would expect this information to be kept private.

  28. Accessible Information Standard

    Report -

    How do GP practices in Islington make their services accessible to patients with a communication support need?

  29. Support offered at GP practices for patients with autism

    Report -

    Mystery shoppers called GP practices posing as newly arrived Islington residents looking for a practice which could accommodate their child’s needs. They stated that their child had a diagnosis of autism.

  30. How do our GP practices make their services accessible?

    News -

    Our volunteers visited all the GP practices in the borough to get a sense of how easy it is for them to meet the Accessible Information Standard.

  31. Women from the Islington Somali Community are using their phones to support their wellbeing

    News -

    Women who participated in the Log On project tell us how their smartphones are helping them to feel connected.

  32. Moorfields Eye Hospital - Enter and View visits

    Report -

    Over a two week period in September 2018 we conducted three visits to Moorfields Eye Hospital on City Road.

  33. Community services: Talking to patients using health centres in Islington

    Report -

    We spoke to 82 patients accessing a variety of community services from 6 health centres across the borough.

  34. Whittington Hospital Enter and View visits

    Report -

    We visited the Imaging Department, and the Fracture and Antenatal Clinics. We asked outpatients about the information they had been sent ahead of their appointment. We also asked them how easy it was find their way around the hospital.

  35. We asked outpatients at the Whittington whether they felt the hospital provided good information about their appointments.

    News -

    We visited the Imaging Department, and the Fracture and Antenatal Clinics. Most people felt the hospital was doing a good job, but there was still some room for improvement.

  36. Care homes: understanding your rights

    Advice and Information -

    Choosing a care home can be daunting and it's important to have the right information. Find out more about your rights and how to complain if you are not happy.

  37. Stroke services for Islington

    Advice and Information -

    Support available in Islington for residents recovering from a stroke, and for their family members and carers.

  38. Registering with your GP: understanding your rights

    Advice and Information -

    People have told us they can have problems registering with a GP. This article explains more about your rights and what do to if you are refused the right to register.

  39. Information on Coronavirus

    Advice and Information -

    Find out what to do if you have COVID-19 symptoms, where to go for support, and how you can help stop the spread

  40. Coronavirus is affecting my mental health – what can I do?

    Advice and Information -

    The current Coronavirus (COVID19) pandemic may cause you to feel worried, anxious, or scared. Read our seven steps to looking after your wellbeing while staying informed.

  41. Coronavirus: Information for particular health conditions

    Advice and Information -

    Coronavirus updates from a range of organisations providing more specialist advice

  42. Coronavirus: What does shielding mean?

    Advice and Information -

    Find out more about shielding, who it applies to, and what to do if you're a shielder.

  43. Planning care at the end of life

    Advice and Information -

    We explain why it’s important to have a plan in place, should you or a loved one become critically ill with coronavirus.

  44. Health data and the fight against coronavirus

    Advice and Information -

    Data specialists from University College London Hospital spoke to us about ways we can keep safe online. We also learned how our health data is shared.

  45. Have your say on how your health data is used in research

    News -

    Participants are needed for a focus group planned for 21 October, led by specialists from University College Hospital

  46. Sorting the facts from the fiction about flu vaccinations

    Advice and Information -

    A consultant in medical virology from University College London spoke to us about the upcoming flu season and debunked some common misconceptions about flu vaccinations.

  47. Flu Vaccinations: Community Q & A

    Advice and Information -

    Dr Paraskevopoulou, a consultant in medical virology from University College London answered questions from Healthwatch members about the upcoming flu season and flu vaccinations

  48. Flu Vaccinations and Covid-19 Meeting notes September 2020

    Report -

    Meeting notes