News and reports

Radio presenter and Asperger's champion Alex Manners spoke to Healthwatch ahead of his talk organised by Bristol Autism Support tomorrow (April 7th). His tips for coping with the pressures of Covid-19? "Find a project and focus on the next few days."

The pandemic has shown the importance of collaboration to help everyone get the care they need. This is the principle behind the new regional Integrated Care System, which began operating from today, April 1.

To support the over 50’s, South Gloucestershire Council, Healthwatch South Gloucestershire and the region's Over 50s Forum organised an event with local representatives from the NHS and Public Health, to provide guidance and answer questions.

NHS staff delivered almost 100,000 Covid-19 vaccinations in a single hour on 20 March breaking the record for the largest number of doses given. In a South Glos Primary Care Network over 1,900 had their jabs in one day.

The pandemic has led to delays in patients getting seen at Bristol Royal Infirmary’s A&E department due to high demand and lack of staff, a new report has found.

NHS dental care has been massively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and it's been almost impossible to find an NHS dentist that's accepting new patients or doing emergency treatment.

Our South Glos volunteer, Jemma Ballinger, says while it is great news that people on the learning disability register will be prioritised to have the vaccine, they will still often need a lot of reassurance and understanding to receive it.

Find out more about how to get on your GPs learning disability register to ensure you have the Covid-19 vaccine. Being on the register also means you should also be invited to have an important health check-up to pick up any symptoms of illness.

People who have learning disabilities or a mental health condition can have their vaccination experience made easier for them. Healthwatch and the local clinical commissioning group put on a webinar to explain extra support or help that's available.

There’s just a few days left to get a covid “surge test” if you live in specific postcodes in Bristol and South Glos, are over 16 and do not have symptoms of the virus.

59.5% of all the coronavirus deaths between the 24th January and the 20th November 2020 were disabled people, the latest data from the Office for National Statistics has revealed.

It's always important to be registered with a GP - but it's particularly important if you're caring for someone vulnerable. If you're not registered, you may not get your COVID-19 vaccination at the right time.