NHS St Helens CCG Community Newsletter
Edition 10 - October 2018
ENGAGE is the best way to find out about what's happening in health and social care and how you can get involved.
Engagement Lead Blog - October 2018
During October following on from the Know Your Type campaign in September, the team again worked with NHS Blood and Transplant and the Co-op Distribution Centre to run an internal campaign to raise awareness of becoming a blood donor and provided the opportunity for people to have a simple test to find out what blood type are.
The team have also worked closely with medicines management colleagues and council colleagues to support the launch and delivery of the national antibiotic awareness campaign. The aim of the campaign is to reduce inappropriate prescriptions for antibiotics, more information can be found here.
Also launched in October was our flu vaccination campaign. This campaign is aimed at encouraging those people at greatest risk from flu to protect themselves and their loved ones, more information can be found here.
Our Patient Experience and Involvement Group (PEIG) meeting also took place again. This group is made up of representation from the CCG, Local Authority, Public Health, Health watch, VCA and Patient Rep. The PEIG is a sub group which reports directly to the CCG Quality & Performance Committee, in line with the quality strategy. The group supports and advises on borough-wide engagement, consultation and communication activity and initiatives relevant to the delivery of the CCG commissioning strategy and St Helens Health and Well-being Strategy click here for more information on this group or how to get involved with the work of the CCG.
During the coming months the CCG will running a number of engagement events within the local community, we would like as many people to get involved in the events and come along and have their say.
Engagement Opportunities
Community Talkfest - Locality Engagement Events
Following on from the community engagement workshop event which took place on Friday 6th July 2018 (Talkfest) we made a commitment to run similar events within each locality throughout the year. The first of these events will take place during Self-Care Week, week beginning 12th – 18th November at various localities across St Helens.
Localities and times can be seen below. Tea and coffee will be available at each event
North – Monday 12th November – Park Farm ACYP Centre – 9:00am arrival for a 9:30 start – 12:00pm.
Town Centre - Tuesday 13th November – The Hope Centre – 1:00pm arrival for a 1:30pm start – 16:00pm.
South – Thursday 15th November – Derbyshire Hill Family Community Centre– 5:00pm arrival for a 5:30pm start – 20:00pm.
Haydock and Newton – Friday 16th November – Newton Community Centre – 9:00am arrival for a 9:30 start – 12:00pm.
The aim of the events are to engage with community members about bringing health and social care together and how you may want to get involved in this. In this event we will focus on the following themes:
What is St Helens Cares
St Helens Shared Care Record
Self-Care
What should we engage on next?
If you would like to register for an event in your area please contact engagement@sthelensccg.nhs.uk or 01744 627596 to book your place stating your name, organisation (if applicable) and locality you would like to attend.
Maternity Listening Event
Do you live in St Helens and have accessed maternity services within the last 12 months? Are you currently pregnant or are you planning on becoming pregnant soon? Or are you the partner of someone who has accessed maternity services?
We will be holding two Maternity Services Listening Events to capture experiences of maternity services locally
Thursday 15th November, 9:30am arrival for 10am start-12pm - St Helens Town Hall
Thursday 22nd November, 5:30pm arrival for 6pm start-8pm - St Helens Town Hall
Tea and Coffee will be provided.
On the day we want
You to share your experiences of maternity services – what’s working well and what could be better
Your help about how we can personalise your care
Your ideas about how we offer you choice and continuity of care
Your ideas to shape the care we provide out of hospital and the support we offer such as antenatal classes and infant feeding support
Before the day we would like you
To share your story about your experience so that we can put together some ‘real life’ case studies for the day
We look forward to seeing you there - babies welcome!
Event Information
What: Maternity Services Listening Events When: Thursday 15th November, 9:30am – 12pm & Thursday 22nd November, 6pm - 8pm Where: St Helens Town Hall, Victoria Square, St Helens, WA10 1HP Parking:Birchley Street, St Helens, WA10 1HT How: Email/call the team via engagement@sthelensccg.nhs.ukor 01744627596 to register your place stating the date you would like to attend
Diabetes Engagement Event
NHS St Helens CCG and STHK Adult Diabetes Team would like to invite all diabetes patients and carer’s to attend the second public engagement event on what is happening locally within Adult Diabetes services.
This is a great opportunity for you to meet and ask local health care professionals what is happening in relation to Adult Diabetes services and to find out what the future holds. You will also be able to meet people with diabetes who live in the St Helens area.
Professor Sarah O'Brien, Strategic Director of People’s Services/Clinical Accountable Officer at NHS St Helens CCG and Professor Kevin Hardy, Medical Director at St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, will both be in attendance and table top discussions will take place with local health care diabetes professionals on each of the following subjects:
North West Coast Strategic Clinical Networks - Join their People's Voice
Who are we?
The North West Coast Strategic Clinical Networks (SCNs) were formed in April 2016
to improve specific health and care services in the region i.e. cancer, cardiovascular disease, (including stroke, renal, and diabetes), dementia, mental health, end of life/palliative care, and maternity services.
How you can help:
As a patient, carer or member of the public you will at some time have (or will) use health and care services in your area or you may simply have a particular interest in health and care services. You can use your experience and knowledge to help us improve and shape services.
Earlier Diagnosis
Quality of Life and Patient Experience
Better Treatment
Reduce Inequalities
End of Life Treatment and Support
Commissioning (buying) of Services
Would you like to contribute?
If you would like to learn more about our ‘People’s Voice’, please contact us. We can also arrange for you to meet one of our existing members for a chat and to find out more. You are welcome whatever your interest in Health and Care services. With the help of patients, carers and the public, we have already done a great deal:
Produced an Information Directory for people affected by cancer
Advised on Cancer Centre discharge policy
Worked with clinicians and managers to improve services
Proof read patient information leaflets, surveysand questionnaires
Been involved with re-configuration of services
Produced a promotional DVD
Raised awareness of stroke, cancer and other life-threatening illnesses
Developed a bereavement specification for Trusts to improve experience for families
Click here to visit the Council's consultations pageit has the links to the public healthy weight and smoking support surveys.
GP online services Webinars for Patient Participation Group (PPG) Members
Patient Participation Groups (PPGs) play an important role supporting GP practices, particularly in engaging with patients.
The NHS England Primary Care Digital Transformation team is holding a series of FREE webinars aimed at PPG members to help them understand all about GP online services and how they can support their local practice in getting more patients to register for this service. The webinars will last between 60-90 minutes depending on how many questions are asked.
St Helens Council’s People’s Service department is calling on kind-hearted residents to help make a disadvantaged child’s Christmas special by donating to its gift appeal.
St Helens Council’s Cabinet Member for Developing Children, Councillor Joe Pearson said: “Our annual gift appeal has been a huge success since it first launched in 2010, with tens of thousands of items donated by kind-hearted residents, businesses, and organisations.”
"But sadly, the truth is that there are still many children and young people in the borough who are at risk of waking up on Christmas day without a single gift, so I’d encourage anyone who can to do what they can to bring some much needed joy into these youngsters lives at what should be the happiest time of the year.”
Items such as rattles, teething rings, books, toys, toiletries and clothing will be most welcome – and with a shortage of gifts last year for boys aged between 7-12 years, it is asked that residents consider this age range when donating to the appeal.
For health and safety reasons, soft toys cannot be accepted and it is asked that gifts are bought as new and are not wrapped. Collection Points have been set up in various town centre locations including: · St Helens Town Hall
Atlas House
Wesley House
St Helens Libraries
Central Link Children’s Centre, Westfield StreetWhile donations can also be made at:
Parr Children’s Centre, Ashtons Green Drive
Fourways Children’s Centre, Burnage Avenue
Thatto Heath Children’s Centre, Brisbane Street
Sutton Children’s Centre, Ellamsbridge Road
Newton Children’s Centre, Patterson Street.The deadline for donations is Monday 17 December 2018.
For more information, contact Tracy Sexton by calling 01744 676563.
Campaigns and Information
Give it your Best Shot! Protect yourself and your loved ones against flu this year
As winter approaches, it’s time for those at greatest risk from flu to protect themselves and their loved ones.
Flu is a highly contagious infection that anyone can catch. While flu can be a short-lived illness for the majority of people who catch it, for some it can be much more serious. The best protection we have against flu is the flu vaccine.
The flu vaccine changes every year to fight the latest strains of flu, so even if you had the vaccine last year you need another one this year to be protected.
Health leaders in St Helens are encouraging those who are at much greater risk of becoming seriously unwell if they catch flu, to get themselves protected by getting their free flu vaccine including people aged 65 and over, those who have a long term health condition, those with a weakened immune system, residents of long-stay care homes, carers and pregnant women. Those eligible should contact their GP, local pharmacist or midwife to get their flu vaccine.
A key focus of this year’s flu campaign is to encourage more children aged 2 and 3 to be ‘Flu Superheroes’ this winter and ‘fight those Flu Monsters away’ by having a FREE nasal spray from their GP to protect them against flu. Children in reception and school years 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 will also be offered the FREE flu nasal spray at school.
For more information, speak to your GP or local pharmacist, or visitwww.nhs.uk/flu.
Local health chiefs support campaign for the correct use of antibiotics
Launched by Public Health England on Tuesday 23 October, the ‘Keep Antibiotics Working’ campaign looks to raise awareness of the issue of antibiotic resistance and reducing demand from the public.
Antibiotics are essential to treat serious bacterial infections, such as meningitis, pneumonia and sepsis, but they are frequently being used to treat illnesses like coughs, earache and sore throats that can often get better by themselves.
Taking antibiotics encourages harmful bacteria that live inside you to become resistant, meaning antibiotics may not work when you really need them too.
It is estimated that 5,000 deaths are caused every year in England because antibiotics no longer work for some infections and this figure is set to rise with experts predicting that in just over 30 years antibiotic resistance will kill more people than cancer and diabetes combined.
Aimed at women aged 20-45 and men and women aged 50 and over, the campaign urges residents to always trust their doctor, nurse or pharmacist’s advice as to when they need antibiotics and if they are prescribed them, take antibiotics as directed and never save them for later use or share them with others.
The campaign also provides effective self-care advice to help individuals and their families feel better without prescribed antibiotics.
For further information on antibiotics, their uses and the risk of resistance, please search ‘antibiotics’ online atwww.nhs.ukor to show your support become an antibiotic guardian today at www.antibioticguardian.com
My Stroke Guide
Stroke can change your life in an instant. Whether it’s happened to you or someone close to you, My Stroke Guide is there to help support recovery.
This digital tool was designed by people who have had a stroke, family members, carers, and Health Professionals, alongside the Stroke Association, to support those affected by stroke.
*95% of users would recommend My Stroke Guide to others affected by stroke.
My Stroke Guide gives you free access to trusted information about different types of stroke, risk factors and secondary conditions, as well as advice on prevention and improving your own health.
“We’ve been introducing My Stroke Guide to patients to support their recovery and help them understand stroke” Camille - Psychologist in Neuro-rehabilitation
You can find practical tools and over 200 videos, to help you to understand stroke and manage its effects. This includes a dedicated section for family and friends which provides information on the impact of stroke and advice about supporting loved ones.
“My Stroke Guide provides me with practical support and encouragement. It’s like having a friend at your side” Bill stroke survivor
Our online community connects you to thousands of others so you can share stories and tips and find out how they manage recovery.
“Bill wanted to get back to driving. Hearing what others on My Stroke Guide have gone through really helped” Andrea - Carer
My Stroke Guide can help support recovery, no matter where you live, 24/7.
“Using My Stroke Guide made me realise there’s life beyond stroke”
We are always looking at ways of improving healthcare services. A big part of how we can do that is to hear your experiences of health care. All experiences and stories, both positive and negative are good for us to know about and you can share these with us in a number of ways including;
