Impact of our work
Your experiences are changing health and care in Leeds.
When you tell us what it's really like to use a GP surgery, a hospital, a dentist or a care service, we make sure the people who run those services listen. We hold them to account until something changes.
This page shows what has changed because people spoke up.
How your feedback makes a difference
- You tell us what happened. Good or bad, big or small. You can stay anonymous if you want to.
- We look for patterns. One story matters. When we hear the same thing from many people, it shows where a service needs to change.
- We share it with the people in charge. We take what you tell us to the NHS, Leeds City Council and the organisations that run and pay for local services.
- We push for action. We make clear recommendations and ask services to tell us what they will do.
- We check what changed. We follow up, and we report back to you here.
We are independent. We don't run health or care services, so you can be honest about what's working and what isn't.
Reaching out to our local community
What has changed?
Better help when you call NHS 111 in a mental health crisis
371 people shared their experiences of calling NHS 111 for mental health crisis support. Three in five said it didn't help them manage their crisis. Many people didn't know NHS 111 could help at all. Carers struggled to get help for someone else.
What changed: Call handlers get better training. Carers get better support. Information about the service is clearer, so people know what to expect. A text service was commissioned for those who need it. Our work informed the service's 2026 recommissioning. We are working with Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust to develop communications to raise awareness of the mental health support available
Safer, easier mental health hubs for young people
Young people said the Time For Young People mental health support service website was hard to use, the hubs were hard to reach, and some places felt unsafe. Our Youthwatch volunteers tested the website and visited the hubs. They wrote 11 top tips for the people who plan and run young people's mental health support.
What changed: The website now has a clearer menu, simpler words, local photos, travel information and better links to crisis help. At the hubs, there is better lighting where young people felt unsafe, a new phone line and clearer signs.
Better dental care for children
Our Youthwatch volunteers heard from 248 children and young people and 352 parents and carers. Families told us appointments were cancelled when no interpreter was booked. Some neurodivergent children found visits to the dentist hard.
What changed: £6.5 million in funding from the West Yorkshire ICB went into better access to dentists for children and young people, including extra dental sessions in the areas that need them most. Leeds City Council Public Health also secured funding to train community members as oral health champions.
Better care in learning disability support services
We made 11 visits to Aspire services between July and October 2025. We used easy-read surveys, British Sign Language interpreters, and picture prompts so everyone could take part. We gathered feedback from customers with learning disabilities, their relatives and the staff.
What changed: Aspire reviewed how agency staff are trained, introduced a medication policy and checks, gave families direct contact details for managers, and started using picture cards for better communication with customers.
Health services shaped around local people
850 people across Leeds told us they want services that talk to each other, communicate clearly and are closer to home. We shared what people said with Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust as it planned new neighbourhood health services.
What changed: The Trust trained new staff on what people want, made it easier for young people and carers to get advice and book appointments, and brought back its Carers Steering Group. The report is being used across Leeds and West Yorkshire to shape the national Neighbourhood health model.
Better dental care for children
We reviewed Leeds GP practice websites and suggested simpler words and clearer details. People found GP websites hard to follow, especially when it came to evening and weekend appointments.
What changed: Alwoodley Medical Centre, Meanwood Health Centre, North Leeds Medical Practice, Street Lane Practice, and Diamond Medical Group made the changes. Leeds is now using our recommendations across the area.
Our annual report
Your story could be the next one that changes things
Every change on this page started with someone telling us what happened to them. It only takes a few minutes, and it's free and confidential.
Tell us about any health or care service in Leeds: your GP surgery, a hospital, a dentist, a pharmacy, mental health support, care at home or a care home.