News and reports

Patient Participation Groups (PPGs) are groups of patients who work with their GP practice to help improve services. NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) describes a PPG as a group of people who volunteer to work with their GP practice so it works as well as it can for patients and staff. Patient Participation Groups (PPGs) - NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB

Healthwatch Nottingham and Nottinghamshire regularly hear from people who are confused about how to access GP appointments online. One of our volunteers, Helen, recently tried to understand why booking through the NHS App isn’t always possible in practice. This wasn’t a formal research project — just one local citizen trying to understand the system — but looking across more than forty GP practice websites quickly revealed how complicated the landscape has become. Here is what she found:

Welcome to the Healthwatch Nottingham & Nottinghamshire February 2026 Newsletter!

On 11 November 2025, Healthwatch Nottingham and Nottinghamshire carried out an Enter and View visit to West Lodge Care Home to understand residents’ lived experiences, with a particular focus on spiritual and cultural life, social connection, and emotional wellbeing. Overall, the visit found a warm, inclusive, and caring environment where residents feel safe, respected, and well supported by a compassionate and culturally diverse staff team. While many examples of good practice were observed, a small number of practical issues were identified that, if addressed, could further enhance residents’ day-to-day quality of life.

In our final edition of the year, we include updates on the future of Healthwatch, and an illustration of our organisational strategy. We also introduce our latest Enter and View report, this time based in a GP practice. Our Annual General Meeting highlights are also featured, alongside our earliest project of the new year, focussing this time on the efficacy of the NHS App, and how you can participate. The newsletter also features positive patient feedback, and key issues raised by the community, all aimed at driving meaningful improvements in healthcare across the region.

Healthwatch Nottingham and Nottinghamshire (HWNN) was commissioned to support the development of a Patient, Carer and Family Reference Group (PCFRG) within Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.

Key highlights include our updates on the future of Healthwatch, highlights from our new Enter and View report, and details on our upcoming virtual event in relation to our GP Access Report. The newsletter also features positive patient feedback, advocacy updates, and key issues raised by the community, all aimed at driving meaningful improvements in healthcare across the region.

A recent inspection of Fairfields GP Practice, conducted in collaboration with Healthwatch Nottingham & Nottinghamshire, captured patient feedback highlighting generally positive experiences, while also revealing some challenges faced by a diverse and underserved community.

In May 2025, our team carried out an Enter and View visit to Annesley Lodge, a residential care home in Hucknall, to understand what the residents thought of the care they received. Good care is about more than keeping people clean and fed. It’s about making sure they feel happy, included, and respected. Therefore, the team focused on four areas: social, emotional, physical, and spiritual needs.

Key highlights include our updates on the future of Healthwatch, highlights from our new GP Access Report, and some updates from our partners. The newsletter also features positive patient feedback, advocacy updates, and key issues raised by the community, all aimed at driving meaningful improvements in healthcare across the region.

Healthwatch Nottingham & Nottinghamshire urge you to sign our petition to review the decision to abolish independent local Healthwatch.

Access to GP services remains a pressing concern for patients in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, as it does across the country. Even with continued investment and policy focus at both national and regional levels to reform and strengthen primary care, many patients still face difficulties booking appointments, navigating appointment systems and accessing timely, appropriate care.