What you told us - trends in feedback January to June 2026

Healthwatch Northumberland received feedback or information requests from 301 people during the first half of 2026. Overall feedback volumes were similar to the previous six months but lower than the same period in 2025. GP services remained the most frequently discussed service, although concerns about GP services fell compared with late 2025, while feedback about hospital outpatient services remained consistently high. 

The report also found that positive feedback increased and negative feedback decreased during the period, suggesting that the decline in public perceptions seen in late 2025 was temporary rather than part of a longer-term trend. 

Key Findings

• GP services accounted for 23% of all feedback, followed by hospital outpatient services (15%) and audiology services (7%). 
• The main GP concerns related to quality of care and difficulty obtaining appointments.
• Audiology feedback was heavily focused on access issues. 
• Healthwatch provided signposting support to 81 people, most commonly relating to adult social care, audiology, complaints processes, NHS dentistry and mental health support.
• Positive comments increased from 9% in January to 21% in June, while negative comments fell from 52% to 40%. 
• Nearly half of respondents were aged 65 or over, and 69% were female. 
• Feedback from ethnic minority residents continued to increase and represented 5% of respondents, exceeding the county's ethnic minority population proportion.