Meet our intern Darshana!

News - 4 March 2026

We've been lucky to have Darshana join us for a 12-week internship. Read on to learn about the tasks she worked on and the skills she has acquired during her time with us.
During the 12-week period, Darshana successfully and independently led on two mini-project, one of which was a topic valued by our community in Tower Hamlets. The Experience of NHS App project specifically looks at what works and where support is needed in order to use the app. She also supported staff in their specific areas, such as the Experience of Menopause and Perimenopause research project, and attended community engagement events.
 
At Healthwatch Tower Hamlets, we ensure our interns gain valuable skills and experience of the healthcare and social care industry to support their future endeavours. We asked Darshana to answer a few questions to share how she felt about her internship with us.

How did you find out about the internship at Healthwatch Tower Hamlets?

I joined Healthwatch Tower Hamlets to gain UK experience and to upskill myself. From the beginning, it has been a very valuable learning experience. I had the chance to speak with a wide range of people living in Tower Hamlets and listen to their experiences with NHS healthcare services.

Healthwatch gave me the opportunity to work on a mini research project about the NHS App, which helped me understand the challenges people face when using digital health services. I also worked independently on the NHS Safe Surgeries initiative. This made me think more deeply about the barriers and difficulties some people may face when accessing healthcare, and how Healthwatch supports residents with both health and social care concerns.

What kind of things did you learn during your internship?

During my internship, I learned a lot about patient experience by collecting feedback from residents in Tower Hamlets. Attending community events helped me become more confident in speaking with different groups of people.

At community events, I also spoke with women experiencing menopause and perimenopause to understand their views, challenges and whether they needed support. This helped me understand women’s health concerns more clearly and recognise how important it is to provide the right information and support.

Working on the mini research project helped me understand the barriers residents face when using the NHS App. Through the NHS Safe Surgeries initiative, I learned how immigrants and asylum seekers can experience challenges when registering with a GP practice and accessing healthcare services. This gave me a better understanding of inequality in healthcare access.

Did the internship improve your learning/confidence or knowledge in a specific area?

I became more confident communicating with members of the public from different backgrounds. I also developed skills in report writing and analysing feedback collected from the community. Overall, I feel more confident working within the UK health and social care system.

What did you enjoy the most about the internship?

I most enjoyed working on the mini research project about the NHS App and contributing to the NHS Safe Surgeries initiative. These projects made me think more deeply about the barriers people face when accessing healthcare. It helped me understand the UK healthcare system in a more practical and meaningful way.

Has working with Healthwatch changed how you view health and social care services?

Speaking to different people and hearing their personal experiences helped me see health and social care services from the public’s perspective. It gave me a much clearer understanding of the challenges residents face and how important organisations like Healthwatch are in making sure people’s voices are heard.

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