1. Devon ADHD project secures funding to develop virtual assistant

    News -

    A project to support young people with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has secured funding to develop a multilingual virtual assistant.

  2. Access to Children’s and Young People’s Services during Covid-19

    Report -

    A review of patient feedback received around services in Plymouth has recently been conducted and it was noted that there had been consistent feedback around access to CAMHS services during the Covid pandemic, most of it negative.

    To better understand the issues being raised, it was decided by the Healthwatch Plymouth Steering Group to conduct further research in the form of a survey aimed at parents who had accessed Children’s and Young People services since 1 April 2020.

  3. How to access mental health support if you have gender, sexuality or relationship diversity

    Advice and Information -

    Mental health problems are more common among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual (LGBTQIA+) people. If you are struggling, feel alone or need a little help, then check out our guide on how you can get the support you need.

  4. Does the NHS have to provide an interpreter?

    Advice and Information -

    Do you know about your rights to language support in NHS settings?

  5. Cost of Living Feedback Report

    Report -

    Healthwatch England recently published their findings and a set of immediate actions for the Government and the NHS, in relation to the cost of living and the detrimental impact it is having on people’s decisions about their own health and wellbeing.

    In light of these findings, we wanted to find out if the cost of living was having an impact on people in Devon, Plymouth and Torbay and if so, in what way.

    60 people responded to the survey and the survey ran throughout March to May 2023.

    By Healthwatch in Devon, Plymouth, and Torbay

  6. Accessing services in Devon: Feedback from the Deaf community

    Report -

    In 2022, Healthwatch in Devon, Plymouth and Torbay held a series of meetings with the South West representative of the Royal Association for Deaf People to discuss various concerns that were being raised around access to British Sign Language (BSL) qualified interpreters. These concerns include:

    • Interpreters to support appointments in hospital and GP surgeries
    • Interpreters to support complaints process
    • Access to information

  7. The Accessible Information Standard - What you can expect from services

    Advice and Information -

    The Accessible Information Standard is mandatory for all organisations that provide National Health Service (NHS) or adult social care.