Healthwatch City of London November Newsletter
Chat from our Chair
Welcome to our November newsletter, firstly, let me say a big thank you to all those who joined us at our Annual General Meeting back in October It was really good to see so many of you and Dame Marie Gabriel, Chair of the North East London Integrated Care Board proved to be a really popular choice as our guest speaker. Marie spoke about the work of the Integrated Care Board, it’s role in planning, commissioning and overseeing the delivery of your health services and the changes that will be made following the announcement of the NHS 10 Year Health Plan. More on what she spoke about down below.
November marks two important campaigns, Movember: Men’s Health Awareness and Carers Right’s Day. Movember is an important movement and health campaign which targets men’s health issues, in particular prostate cancer, testicular cancer as well as talking about mental health. We have details below on the key health areas you can focus on and the importance of prioritising your health and wellbeing.
We had hoped to have our own men’s health event in November, but packed diaries have meant this is being postponed until early next year. Carers Right’s Day, on Thursday, 20th November has the theme of "Know Your Rights, Use Your Rights”, we will be with IMAGO at St Giles Church, Barbican, recognising the importance of unpaid carers in the City and sharing information that Carers can and should access, especially those vital services in health and social care.
We also have updates on City Advice, an essential service in the City has received a new contract from the City of London Corporation, residents are still able to use the service, however there are changes for those working and studying in the City, as unless you live in the City you will no longer be able to access the service. Information on what alternative services you can access and City Advice’s new phone number is down below.
We hope you enjoy the last month of Autumn and as always, we always want to hear your feedback and thoughts on health and social care services that you are accessing.
Gail Beer
Chair, Healthwatch City of London
Our Annual General Meeting (AGM)
On Friday, 17th October we held our AGM at St Giles Church, Barbican. It was great to see everyone, both residents and members from organisations we work closely with.
We updated you on our work over the previous year, such as our reports on Digital Apps, Enter and Views and the Patient Advise and Liaison Service (PALS), we also talked about our Patient Panel series, public meetings and events.
Dame Marie Gabriel joined us as our guest speaker to talk about the NHS 10 Year Health Plan and how the North East London Integrated Care Board will be implementing changes. In the 10 Year Health Plan, there has been a shift from treating sickness to preventing illness, moving acute care to community-based services and the aim to develop a long-term health strategy which is aligned with the health priorities of the government.
Marie talked about how the board functions and that discussions take place on how best to allocate and deliver the £6.5 billion budget for North East London by using local neighbourhood structures. Marie recognised the need to work flexibly with residents and embrace change.
A big thank you to everyone who came, Marie Gabriel and stallholders, City Advice, IMAGO, Age Uk City of London, Dragon Café and Gloji, who all joined us.
Our upcoming events
Neaman Practice Enter and View Launch
Join us as we launch our Neaman Practice Enter and View report with Partners from the Neaman Practice, Dr Chor and Dr Hillier and Practice Manager Sinead Downes.
Join us to meet the team and hear how they have responded to our findings and recommendations from our report.
We look forward to seeing you in the Sir Ralph Perring Centre in the Golden Lane Community Centre at 12pm on Tuesday, 18th November.
Register: here
Patient Panel with Together Better and new Befriending Service
Join us for our Patient Panel with Yasmin Kauser and Ragini Khurana from Together Better and the new befriending service run by Volunteer Centre Hackney. They will be talking about the great services they run, what is available for you and how you can join.
We’ll be at the Golden Lane Community Centre at 10am to 11:30am on Friday, 5th December.
Register: here
Our Christmas lunch celebration
Join us at our buffet Christmas lunch at 12pm on Friday 12th December at the Portsoken Community Centre. It will be a wonderful opportunity to come together, meet your neighbours, celebrate the festive season, and reflect on the year’s work and achievements. All are welcome, register: here
Adult Social Care Advisory Group
This week we hosted the first Adult Social Care Advisory Group following our information events in the summer. Representatives from both residents and the City of London Corporation Adult Social Care team, joined us to discuss how best to communicate with City residents about the services offered, how to widen the membership ensuring representation of all communities, and the remit of the group.
Meetings will be held quarterly with the next one scheduled for March 2026. If you’d be interested in finding out more about the group and joining, please email ascadvisory@healthwatchcityoflondon.org.uk
Engaging with our Portsoken Communities
Last month we met with Portsoken Councillors John Fletcher and Mansur Ali to discuss how we can engage with communities in the Portsoken area of the City to better understand residents health information needs and any barriers to accessing services. Following our discussions many residents have completed a form to let us know which topics are a priority to them.
We will also be holding three meetings alongside the Councillors in English, Spanish and Sylheti across the community centre, library and estates to find out more about what matters and how our work can help.
Our thanks to Councillors Fletcher and Ali for their invaluable help with this.
Welcome to Farheen
This week the team welcomed a new member, Farheen Shaik. Farheen joins us for one day a week as a Community Engagement Officer, her main role will be to work and engage with the Portsoken Communities, and to assist with our Health literacy project with the North East London Integrated Care Board. We'll be at the Imago Carer’s Rights Day on 20th if you want to pop along to meet her.
Our Enter and View at St Leonard’s Physiotherapy Department
As part of our Enter and View programme, we will be visiting the physiotherapy department at St Leonard’s Hospital, the service receives referrals from local GP practices, including the Neaman and Goodman’s Fields Medical Practices. Our visit is based on feedback we have received from residents in the City who have accessed the service. If you’ve also recently used these services, we want to hear from you, as your feedback will help us to influence the way the service is delivered, email us at info@healthwatchcityoflondon.org.uk
Men’s Health Awareness Month: Take Time to Prioritise Your Health and Wellbeing
November is recognised as Men’s Health Awareness Month, also known as Movember. This month encourages men to focus on both their physical and mental wellbeing, while raising awareness of key health issues such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and mental health.
Men are statistically more likely to experience heart disease, cancer, and mental health challenges and often delay seeking help. This month is an important reminder that looking after your own health is just as important as caring for those around you.
As mentioned above we have had to postpone our men’s health event to February, our event will be bringing you information on men’s health with talks from the St Bartholomew Hospital’s Lead for prostate, testes and bladder cancer along with local support groups sharing what they offer.
Key Health Areas to Focus On
Prostate Cancer: This is one of the most common cancers in men, particularly over the age of 50. A simple test can provide reassurance or detect any concerns early, when treatment is most effective. Visit here
Testicular Cancer: Most common among men, aged 15 to 49, this can often be detected early through regular self-checks. Becoming familiar with what feels normal can help spot any changes quickly. Visit here
Mental Health: Many men experience stress, anxiety, and depression but may be reluctant to reach out for support. Taking the time to check in with yourself and talk to someone can make a significant difference. There are also support services, such as Talking Therapies that can be very beneficial, visit here
Heart Health: Making small lifestyle changes can greatly reduce risk, try to stay active, eat a balanced diet, and manage stress where possible. Calculate your heart health here
Practical Steps for Better Health
Book a Health Check
The NHS has a free Health Check for the health of your heart and blood vessels (cardiovascular health). It can tell you whether you're at higher risk of getting certain health problem, the check is for people who are aged 40 to 74 who do not have certain pre-existing conditions, that are not already being treated visit here for all the details.
Stay Active and Eat Healthy
Small amounts of daily movement, such as a brisk walk or a short workout, can improve both physical and mental health. Find ideas on the NHS live well page for exercise and healthy meal ideas
Grow a Mustache!
Movember is a global movement that raises funds and awareness for men’s health. Growing a moustache throughout November is a simple but effective way to spark conversations and show support. The Movember Foundation continues to fund vital work in prostate and testicular cancer research, as well as men’s mental health initiatives, visit their page here
Join us for Carer’s Rights Day
We will be with IMAGO, joining them on Thursday, 20th November at 10am in St Giles Church, Fore St, Barbican, London EC2Y 8DA.
You’ll have the chance to learn more about your carers rights and the support available to you. Support services will be there, such as City Advice, City Carers Community, City Police and Triage Nurse, Health and Social Care and many more! There will also be refreshments, a talk on Carers Rights and a free massage.
We can’t wait to see you there.
Elsewhere in Health and Social Care
New Breast Cancer Centre at St Bartholomew’s Hospital
Barts Health NHS Trust is opening a new Breast Cancer Centre of Excellence at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, bringing faster diagnosis, safer surgery, and better access to advanced treatment and reconstruction for patients across North East London.
East London currently has some of the lowest breast cancer survival rates in the country, and the new centre aims to improve outcomes through earlier detection and more coordinated care. It is expected to open in early 2026, the facility will include three operating theatres, inpatient beds, and consulting rooms, consolidating around 1,800 surgeries carried out each year across the Trust. It is expected to serve more than 2,000 inpatients and 75,000 outpatients annually.
The project builds on the successful model of the Barts Heart Centre, bringing together services under one roof to improve efficiency and outcomes. Professor Charles Knight, Chief Executive of St Bartholomew’s, said the new centre marks a major step in improving local cancer care, made possible through support from Barts Charity and Nuffield Health.
Fiona Miller Smith, Chief Executive of Barts Charity, added that the £16.6 million investment will have a “transformative impact” on breast cancer care and wider NHS capacity in East London.
Update to the Toynbee Hall City Advice service
Toynbee Hall has secured renewed funding from the City of London Corporation to continue delivering City Advice for a further three years. The new contract will run from Nov 1st 2025 and they will continue to offer free, independent advice and support for people living in the City of London or who are tenants of City of London Corporation housing estates. However, from the 1st of November, City Advice will no longer be available for those who work or study in the City.
There are other organisations you can access for similar purposes, such as Citizens Advice and LawWorks, which you can find in the area where you live. City Advice will continue to offer a multi-channel service, telephone, email and face to face advice, including home visits for those living within the Square Mile.
In the coming months, Toynbee Hall will also introduce two Video Advice Kiosks on City estates, ensuring that residents who are digitally excluded can still access support securely and conveniently within their own communities.
They are moving to a new freephone telephone number from Nov 1st and extending their telephone hours to 8am-8pm 7 days per week
From 8am on Saturday 1st November, residents can access the service:
- Online: www.toynbeehall.org.uk/cityadvice
- By phone: 0800 808 5853, 8am–8pm, seven days a week
- Email – city.advice@toynbeehall.org.uk
The New Community Befriending Service
The City now has a new befriending service, run by Volunteer Centre Hackney (VCH). It is a great service that can bring people together to reduce social isolation and support health and wellbeing. You do need to have a referral from a healthcare professional, and everyone who is referred to VCH Community Befrienders will be assessed on an individual basis. Befrienders are volunteers, and offer phone calls, home visits or meeting outside.
You can volunteer to be a befriender here
Family Action: Life Skills Service
Family Action provides practical, emotional and financial support to families experiencing poverty, disadvantage and social isolation. Their children and families support services include emotional health & wellbeing, therapeutic, special educational needs (SEN), young carers, looked after children, advice.
They’re also connecting communities through food with their Food On Our Doorstep (Food) Clubs, which provide good-quality food at a low cost, while also reducing food waste. It costs just £1 a year for a family to become a member and members can then purchase a bag of tasty, healthy food items every week worth approximately £15 for just £4.
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