News and reports

Healthwatch Rotherham held a mystery shop at RMBC Riverside House. The purpose of the mystery shopper experience is to see how easy it is for the public to access adult social care information and services. By having individuals pose as potential service users, Healthwatch can assess real-world factors like staff friendliness, response times, and the quality of communication across face-to-face, telephone, and digital channels.

Our You said, we did' report for March 2026 is now available.

This month we were contacted by 78 people who either shared their experiences of health and social care services, or asked for information and signposting help. Our report highlights some of the things we heard and some of the actions we have taken, as well as some of the feedback given to us.

Becoming a parent can be exciting, but it can also bring many challenges. New parents may need help with money, health care, mental wellbeing, and learning how to care for a baby. For some families, language barriers, financial pressure, or lack of local knowledge can make it harder to access support.
This report explains national and local support services available to new parents in Rotherham. The aim is to provide clear information about financial support, health services, and practical help for families.

Our You said, we did' report for February 2026 is now available.

This month we were contacted by 53 people who either shared their experiences of health and social care services, or asked for information and signposting help. Our report highlights some of the things we heard and some of the actions we have taken, as well as some of the feedback given to us.

Across Rotherham and the UK, thousands of people provide unpaid care every day – supporting partners, parents, children, friends and neighbours who live with illness, disability, mental health problems or addiction. A new report from The Health Foundation highlights just how essential unpaid carers are, and the growing pressures many face without adequate support.

What is an Enter and View?

The Health and Social Care Act 2012 legislation allows Enter and View activity to be undertaken on premises where health and social care is publicly funded, such as hospitals, residential homes, GP practices, dental surgeries, optometrists and pharmacies. We visit:

To gather the views of health and social care service users, families and carers.

To report what we see and hear to providers, regulators, Local Authority and NHS commissioners and quality assurers, the public, Healthwatch England and any other relevant partners to improve the quality of health and social care services.

To develop insights and recommendations across multiple visits to inform strategic decision making at local and national levels.

Get involved in a national week of action to help more people have a stronger voice in their care.

What does care truly feel like for those receiving it? We aim to answer in our new report.

Last Thursday, our Community Engagement Officer Holly was joined by our two placement students from The University of Sheffield at Shiloh. We are hosting the students for a number of weeks so that they can gain an understanding of what's on offer in the health and social care sector in Rotherham, how Healthwatch supports the community and get hands-on experience engaging with the local people and organisations.

As the government prepares to refresh the Women Health’s Strategy, we share new findings on women’s top priorities.

South Yorkshire recently welcomed a visit from Minal Bakhai, Clinical Lead for the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme at NHS England, who came to learn more about the innovative work being delivered across Doncaster and Rotherham’s neighbourhood pilot sites.

Nearly 1 in 4 people have missed an NHS appointment because they forgot or arrived too late, according to a new survey.