Patient stories improve health services - tell us yours .
Join the fight to save our community hospitals
Join the fight to protect our community beds !
Dementia Care in Cornwall - is it fit for purpose ?
Dementia Care in Cornwall -  is it fit for purpose?
The fight to save Edward Hain Hospital continues
The fight to save Edward Hain Hospital Continues
The NHS at 70

THANK YOU TO ALL THE WONDERFUL NHS STAFF !!

St Michaels NHS 70th Celebrations

Welcome

West Cornwall HealthWatch is a voluntary, independent campaigning health watchdog serving West Cornwall since 1997.  

We monitor developments in the old  Kerrier and Penwith  districts  and campaign to safeguard and improve existing services provided in West Cornwall by the N H S and healthcare services.

Do you have a story to tell

PATIENT STORIES - Do you have a story to tell about your experiences of  Cornwall's NHS or Socail Care Services ? Share with us  your stories - good or bad. By sharing your experiences  with us we can help promote the good bits and highlight  areas  not so good. Submit your story  here .

Current status at Minor Injury Units Cornwall

MINOR INJURY UNIT's  in Cornwall. Check out the lastest waiting times for MIU's in the County . Live NHS  link  undated every 15 minutes . VISIT  HERE

 DEMENTIA CARE . Concerns grow with lack of Dementia care in Cornwall. West Cornwall Healthwatch report on growing number of people with  Dementia in Cornwall amid reduced local services. Read the full article.

 THE NHS NEW LONG TERM PLAN  released January 2019.   The NHS has written a Long Term Plan so it can be fit for the future and is based on the experiences of patients and staff. Read the details here .

How does the NHS work ?

 Confused about how the NHS  in England  works ?  The Kings Fund have pruduced a 10 minute video  https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/audio-video/how-does-nhs-in-england-work. 

Community Hospitals should be turned into re-ablement centres

New publication  by Dr Peter Levin regarding Community Hospitals in Cornwall. Three are under threat of closure on dubiois evidence .  Read Peter's  report  for turning them in re-ablement centres.   Read the full report

Find your nearest defribrillator

Do you know where your nearest Defibrillator is?  Knowing it could save a life.   With thanks to the Ronnie Richards Memorial Charity visit  PAD FINDER

Recent news and views

The draft Integrated Care Strategy for Cornwall & the Isles of Scilly was published at the beginning of March 2023. It is an incomplete piece of work.
The outpatient new build, much talked about last year, has been put on hold and many wonder if it will ever happen.
A recent analysis by The Guardian of official data claimed to show that on average 13,600 beds across NHS England are occupied every day by patients who doctors say are medically fit for discharge to their home or a care home . Read the Guardian article and our comments.
The number of patients seeking private treatment continues to rise, as dissatisfaction with the service provided by the NHS also rises.
Discussions in Cornwall about earwax removal continue, sadly with no end in sight. NHS Kernow has decided to defer a decision