Help Us Choose Our 2025/26 Research Projects
Healthwatch Lancashire are currently in the process of determining our work plan for the next year, this means choosing our focus areas for projects.
Below are blurbs detailing each of our prospective projects. We would like to invite our community to share their thoughts on which projects we should be focussing on using a survey linked below.
Make sure you read the blurbs detailing each project below before sharing your thoughts.
Vote for the research project you would most like us to complete here.
1. Worth the Weight? The Use and Misuse of Weight Loss Drugs in Lancashire
According to a recent survey, more than 1 in 10 women aged 30-75 in the UK use weight
loss injections. NHS data also shows that nearly 1.5 million prescriptions for the weight
loss drug Semaglutide were issued in 2023/24. Additionally, many people turn to
unregulated retailers for potentially dangerous weight loss drugs.
This project will investigate the use and potential misuse of these medications – why
people take them, where they source them, whether they’ve experienced side effects,
and if they considered other weight loss methods first.
This is a critical and timely issue that demands greater attention. Our research will
include an online survey and engagement activities across Lancashire, featuring
discussions with key stakeholders, focus groups, and personal stories from individuals
affected by these drugs.
2. Disability, Transport and Accessibility
In the UK, research shows that people with disabilities make nearly 40% fewer trips
compared to those without disabilities. This disparity is largely driven by inadequate
transport options, both public and private, as well as broader accessibility barriers
within buildings and infrastructure that fail to accommodate the needs of disabled
people.
These mobility challenges have far-reaching socio-economic consequences. Limited
access to transportation restricts employment opportunities, contributing to lower
employment rates among disabled people. It can also cause social isolation, poor
mental health, and poorer access to health services.
This project aims to explore transport accessibility for disabled individuals, covering
areas such as wheelchair repairs, hospital and community transport, and structural
accessibility barriers. We will engage with disabled people across Lancashire who face
various accessibility challenges, representing diverse demographic groups. Our
approach includes collecting personal experience case studies and conducting focus
groups.
3. Vaccine Hesitancy
This project will act as a follow-up to our Covid-19 vaccine study, conducted in 2022. It
will explore changes in attitudes to vaccines in the wake of the pandemic. It will also
investigate why there appears to be growing hesitancy towards vaccine use in
Lancashire, particularly for diseases such as measles, mumps and rubella.
Further, the project will explore how attitudes towards vaccines vary between
communities and across demographic groups, in order to understand the cultural and
societal factors influencing hesitancy. A key focus will be on the wide-ranging
influences on vaccination uptake, including the role of social media and the spread of
(mis)information online.
Research will involve an online survey and engagement activities across Lancashire.
Our engagement will focus on all people, but will identify several key target groups
including people with learning disabilities, Eastern European and South Asian
communities, low-income communities and young people.
4. The Impact of Social Media on Young Children
Research indicates that 46% of internet users aged 13 to 17 have encountered online
harassment, while 28% have experienced some form of cyberbullying. Additionally,
studies link heavy social media use to lower self-esteem and negative well-being,
particularly among girls.
This project will explore the impact of social media on young people’s mental health,
their online behaviour, their safety on social platforms, and how social media influences
their self-perception. It will also seek to understand how the local council, schools, and
parents are addressing the growing use of social media among young people and the
measures they have implemented to promote safety and well-being.
Research for this project will involve an online survey, speaking to children and young
people across Lancashire to hear their views and experiences, as well as collaborating
with schools and colleges and LCC for professional perspectives.
5. Support for People with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities
People with PMLD (profound and multiple learning disabilities) very often do not
communicate using spoken words. Yet this group of people often have complex health
and care needs.
We want to find out what medical and social care is like for people with PMLD as well as
their families and carers. Though targeted engagement activities focusing on diverse
demographic groups across Lancashire, we will ask people: do you have named
professionals who coordinate medical care and services? Are you able to receive social
care? What does your day look like? How was the transition between children’s services
and adult services? Was your healthcare continuous?
For those who need help to swallow or to eat (dysphagia) – how do you manage out and
about in Lancashire? Are there safe spaces for you to sit down to eat and socialise? Do
you have safe places to carry out personal care? What would improve your quality of life
and help you to stay well?
6. Aging Well Without Children
The number of people over 65 without children is expected to rise significantly in the
coming years due to various socio-economic and cultural factors, such as the
increasing cost of living and a growing number of adults choosing not to have children.
This demographic shift will have profound implications for social care and healthcare
systems. The demand for care homes and in-home care services is expected to surge,
placing additional strain on the NHS. For instance, more older adults may be deemed
unfit to return home alone, as there will be no family members available to provide care.
Those aging without a support network are also at greater risk of receiving inadequate
care, with no one to monitor their health and well-being.
This project aims to identify key concerns and challenges associated with aging without
children and explore strategies to mitigate the impact on future services. It will begin
with broad research before focusing on critical themes in health and social care. The
findings will be shared with the Integrated Care Board (ICB), NHS, and other relevant
stakeholders to inform policy and service development.
7. Men’s Health
In 2024 we conducted a major study on Women’s Health. This project will turn attention
to men. Like women, men face specific health challenges, many of which
disproportionately affect them. On average, men die nearly four years earlier than
women and are at higher risk for conditions such as certain cancers, cardiovascular
disease, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.
Mental health is also a critical concern. Men are less likely to seek help for mental
health issues and are significantly more likely to die by suicide. Additionally, health
inequalities across the country are stark. Men in the most deprived areas of England
have a life expectancy almost 10 years lower than those in more affluent regions.
This study will begin with a broad survey to understand men’s health concerns and
priorities. Based on the findings, we will then conduct a more in-depth investigation into
the key issues identified in the first phase. Engagement will take place through an online
survey and regional outreach activities to ensure diverse perspectives are included.
8. Continence needs in Lancashire
Incontinence is a common but rarely discussed issue that can affect people of all ages.
From young children experiencing nighttime enuresis (bedwetting) to older adults
requiring personal care for uncontrolled bladder and bowel movements, it can have a
significant impact on daily life.
In between are many individuals who face different forms of incontinence, such as urge
incontinence (bladder leakage when unable to reach a toilet in time), stress
incontinence, bowel leakage linked to conditions like diabetes or aging, post-pregnancy
or menopausal bladder weakness, prostate-related bladder issues, and constipationrelated incontinence in younger people.
Access to incontinence supplies is determined at a local level rather than nationally,
and the difficulty of finding public toilets often discourages people from leaving their
homes. We want to better understand how incontinence impacts daily life, and what
changes in support could improve quality of life for those living with this condition.
9. Accessible Information Standards
All organisations that provide NHS care and/or publicly-funded adult social care are legally required to follow the Accessible Information Standard. The Standard sets out a specific, consistent approach to identifying, recording, flagging, sharing and meeting the information and communication support needs of patients, service users, carers and parents with a disability, impairment or sensory loss.
At Healthwatch Lancashire, we regularly hear about instances where patients have not received communication or information in a way that meets their needs, for example receiving a letter from the eye clinic by someone who is visually impaired or blind and are not able to read it.
Through open-ended conversations with service users, including people who are visually impaired/blind, have a learning difficulty/disability, and who speak English as a second language, this project will examine how well the NHS is meeting its accessible information standards criteria. The findings will be taken forward to service providers to improve communication and ensure the required standards are being met.