1. People have been telling us about challenges they face getting NHS dentistry. As a result we are working with the NHS Integrated Care Board (ICB) in the North East and North Cumbria to better understand people’s experiences of dentistry in 2023.

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    We need your views and feedback to help shape future services, including planning the next phase of the NHS’s dental recovery plan in the region.
    So if you are living in the North East and North Cumbria, have recent experiences with using or trying to access dental services, then share your experiences with us here.
    Across the North East and North Cumbria, local Healthwatch are working together to tackle this important issue. You can find more information about our Healthwatch Network here.
    The survey closes on 31 March 2024 and as a thank you for your time we are offering £100 of Love-to-Shop vouchers to a lucky prize draw winner.
    If you require a paper copy or have any questions about this survey, please contact 0800 254 5552 or email yoursay@healthwatchhartlepool.co.uk

    Click on the link below to complete the online survey!

  2. Enter & View Visit to Merlin Manor

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    Merlin Manor is a new, purpose built care home situated on the Bishop Cuthbert estate in Hartlepool. It is registered to provide personal and nursing care for up to 94 people. The home supports older people, those with physical disabilities or sensory impairments and people living with dementia. At the time of our visit there were 78 residents.

  3. 'Get your blood pressure checked’.

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    The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has launched an NHS campaign to encourage members of the public who could be living with undiagnosed high blood pressure to get their blood pressure checked at a participating pharmacy. 

    The campaign, backed by British Heart Foundation, Stroke Association, Heart Research UK, Blood Pressure UK, May Measurement Month, British Society for Heart Failure, and more, warns that there are often ‘no clues’ about who might have high blood pressure. 
    Who can get a free blood pressure check
    You can get a free blood pressure check if you:
    are aged 40 or over and live in England

    You cannot get a free blood pressure check if you:
    already have high blood pressure and have had your blood pressure checked by a healthcare professional in the past 6 months

    What happens when you get your blood pressure checked
    A pharmacist, or member of the pharmacy team, will wrap a blood pressure cuff around your upper arm to measure your blood pressure. They will then share the result with you.
    Depending on the result, they might:
    give you advice to support healthy living
    give you a blood pressure monitor to take home with you and return later advise you to see a GP

    If you’re registered with a GP surgery, your GP health record will be updated.
    To find a pharmacy near you that offers free blood pressure checks, click on the link below!
    Or pop into your local pharmacy and ask about a `Free blood pressure check.`