You don’t have to be a health professional or deliver health services to have a positive impact on the health of the community you serve.
The CVS Health Network supports and informs organisations and individuals who engage with the community and who are therefore well placed to cascade opportunities, news, training and resources. This in turn benefits and informs that community – consequently having a positive impact on health. Anyone may join the Health Network – this is an open-information resource. Local information circulated will link either directly or indirectly to health. Contact Vicky Attwood for more information.
Healthwatch Lancashire welcomes a new Chief Executive
Healthwatch Lancashire is delighted to announce the appointment of its new Chief Executive, David Blacklock. David took up the post on 1 May and will be working alongside the Healthwatch Lancashire Board to develop existing services, as well as introducing innovative ways to better engage with residents across the county.
David Blacklock said: “Ensuring that the people of Lancashire have their say on their health and care services is my top priority.
“We all deserve the very best care for our loved ones and for ourselves and my role will be key to ensuring that the voices of Lancashire’s residents are heard by the right people, in the right organisations.”
David and his team will be working with colleagues in partner organisations to ensure that the thoughts and experiences of local people are heard loud and clear and that they can influence how health and social care services are reshaped across the county.
David brings to the role a wealth of skills and knowledge to the role, as well as a passion for ensuring that all members of the community have an equal voice.
David continued: “I am committed to developing our relationships with stakeholders even further to get the very best outcomes for the people of Lancashire.”
David Blacklock has worked in a variety of roles at People First Independent Advocacy since 2000, taking on the role of Chief Executive in 2008. His background in advocacy and supporting those who are seldom or never heard to have a voice.
Pharmacy Bank Holiday Opening Hours
Please click here to see the opening times over the bank holidays.
New Provider of Out of Hours GP services
The Out of Hours GP services in West Lancashire will be provided by Vocare Limited from Tuesday 1 May 2018. This will mean no change to the service, access to GP appointments will be from 6:30pm until 8am weekdays and 24/7 at weekends.
Consultant offering women advice on menopause
The clinic is run by Dr Paula Briggs, Consultant in Sexual and Reproductive Health with Southport and Ormskirk NHS Trust as well as a published author on the subject who says:
“There are estimated to be more than 15,000 women in our hospitals’ catchment area who have the potential to benefit from Menopausal Hormone Therapy. These women can now benefit from advice in a consultant-led specialist service. This will provide them with the right information which will help women to make an informed decision regarding their care. The clinic will accept ‘out of the area’ referrals to the menopause service as there are limited training clinics in this specialist field.”
The menopause transition takes woman from reproductive to post-reproductive life and can take many years. In some cases symptoms never resolve. Many women suffer debilitating consequences from lack of oestrogen.
All women will be affected by longer term consequences of oestrogen deficiency including a reduction in bone mineral density and an increase in the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
Women must be referred by their GP to access the service which can help with the following issues:
- Short-term menopausal symptoms, best managed with Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) following an individualised risk assessment
- Peri-menopausal heavy menstrual bleeding
- Treatment for more complex hormone related conditions, for example, polycystic ovary syndrome and premenstrual syndrome.
Dr Briggs holds roadshows to further educate women which have include police, fire and rescue service, NHS organisations and HM Revenue and Customs.
“The sessions have been extremely popular with women attending from across the North West. The feedback has been described as providing an informative, sympathetic, helpful and knowledgeable source of information,” she said.
Dr Briggs is working on a patient handbook to improve patient understanding of the consequences of the menopause and potential treatment choices following assessment which will be available later in the summer.
Support on hand for patients facing cancer
Cancer support networks have been set up across West Lancashire to help, guide and support patients who have cancer or their carers.
Staff are on hand to give a wide variety of support and guidance on coping with cancer at the events organised by West Lancashire Macmillan Cancer Information and Support Service
Monthly meetings are held in Parbold, Banks and Tarleton and on weekdays in Skelmersdale.
Out of the main 10 cancers found in people across England – people in West Lancashire are more likely to develop cancer in three of these areas, according to health data relating to 2008-10. These areas of prevalence include breast cancer, prostate cancer and skin cancer.
Macmillan points out cancer can affect all aspects of a person’s life, not just their health and the team will be highlighting issues around the financial impact of the disease with many people faced with extra costs they hadn’t considered.
Its research shows four in five people with cancer are £570 a month worse off as a result of their diagnosis, often due to being unable to work and having increased costs such as travel to hospital or increased fuel bills. Read more .
Wheelchairs are rolling in twice as fast as last year!
In total 125 wheelchairs worth £25,000 have been returned to the NHS following an appeal from staff.
Six of the powered wheelchairs are worth more than £10,000 and Wheelchair Service Manager, Yvonne Baron, is delighted.
From mid-February to mid-March 125 wheelchairs were returned to the Pimbo team based in Skelmersdale. That compares with the whole of February and March last year when only 65 were returned.
Yvonne Baron and her team appeared on the TV, radio and in local newspapers in their appeal for the missing wheelchairs.
She said: “I would like to thank all the people who have contacted us so we were able to collect and then clean up and fix the wheelchairs so they can now be reused for other people.
“We noticed a sharp spike in the numbers returned because of the publicity we received. However, there are lots of NHS wheelchairs still out there and not being used – so please give us a call on 01695 556 492 so we can collect even more and recycle those too!”
Key areas for ‘hotspot’ wheelchair locations include Skelmersdale and Ormskirk.
Please call 01695 556 492 if you have a wheelchair to return.
Be Prepared If You Get Sick This Easter
With Easter, fast approaching, local health professionals are reminding people to examine their options, should they or their family members become unwell over the long weekend.
Many GP practices will be closed on the bank holidays over Easter, so it is also wise for people to think about repeat prescriptions they will need before the holiday period begins.
For up to the minute information on where to go if you fall ill during the bank holiday, visit your local CCG’s website, as well as their Twitter and Facebook pages, or visit Examine Your Options: www.examineyouroptions.info
Read more plus opening hours of local services.
Virgin Care Single Point of Access (SPA)
Virgin Care recently launched the first phase of its Single Point of Access (SPA) service in West Lancashire which will bring Community Services together and make it easier and more efficient for health professionals to request support for patients from the Community Services teams. This new service is one part of the work that Virgin Care has been commissioned to deliver in West Lancashire over the coming years.
To access Virgin Care’s services, (outlined below for your information) call a single telephone number 0300 247 0011 . When you call this number you will be given an option and you will then be directed to the service you need. Please note: The Continuing Healthcare service number will remain the same.
Work begins on improvements to Southport hospital A&E
Building work on expanding the accident and emergency department is under way at Southport hospital.
The £1.25m project aims to further improve the experience of care for patients and the environment in which staff treat them.
The centrepiece of the improvements is an 80 square-metre, nine-bay extension constructed from four ready-built modules. They will be each lowered by crane into an internal courtyard, connected together and linked to the A&E department by a short corridor. The work is expected to be completed by the middle of April.
During the spring and summer, improvements to the existing A&E will create a more spacious, modern environment with an improved ambulance handover area and better access for disabled people.
Therese Patten, Chief Operating Officer, said: “This is wonderful news. Our local population is older than average with many very poorly, frailer patients, meaning these improvements are very much needed.
“Over the past three years, there’s been an almost 10% rise in patients coming to A&E. The team regularly sees at least 150 patients a day and last summer saw the highest level of attendances on record.
“I’m proud to say, however, that despite these challenges staff working together across the Trust still manage to deliver a service that scores well when compared with neighbouring hospitals.”
Therese added: “The work will reduce overcrowding at the busiest times, improve the experience of care for patients and provide a better environment for our staff.”
Only 1 in 3 people who are entitled to free eye tests at home make use of service *
Help make the lives of people who are home bound and the people who care for them a little simpler by telling them about their entitlement to this free service.
Encourage them to claim their free home visit by calling
0800 652 4948 or by visiting the website to book their free home visit.
* RNIB/Specsavers – The State of the Nation. Eye Health 2017: A Year in Review
New Citizens’ Panel launches in West Lancashire
Virgin Care are encouraging residents throughout West Lancashire to stay up to date with the organisation’s transformation work in the county and to get involved with what’s happening in their area to help make decisions on the best ways to further improve health services.
Virgin Care runs Adult Community Services and Urgent Care Services on behalf of the NHS in West Lancashire which includes community nursing and Skelmersdale and Ormskirk Walk in Centres.
Everyone from service users, carers or members of the public with an interest in local healthcare can sign up to be part of the new Citizens’ Panel to keep informed about what the organisation is doing. Members can choose from three different levels of involvement, ‘informed’, ‘asked’ or ‘involved’ and will be offered opportunities to take part in initiatives, for example, surveys asking them how they think we’re doing locally, and be given a chance to get involved in improving health services via events and steering groups. They’ll also receive news updates on a regular basis based on their chosen service areas of interest.
More than 20 people have signed up to be part of the panel so far.
Michelle Lee, Managing Director for Virgin Care in West Lancashire, said: “The Citizens’ Panels are groups of local people who shape health and care services by offering their views and insight into what matters for them, helping us set priorities and develop solutions. Those who choose to join could be patients, carers, or members of the public who have an interest in healthcare. The panel is a key part of Virgin Care’s work and will make a real difference to the people who use our services.
“The more people who join, the better our services will be – and we hope over the next year that our exciting projects will encourage more people who have yet to sign up come and be part of something very exciting in West Lancashire.”
People can sign up now at: www.citizenspanel.co.uk
Virgin Care runs Adult Community Services and Urgent Care Services in West Lancashire on behalf of the local NHS.
Lancashire Wellbeing Service rebrand
Lancashire Wellbeing Service has a new website – www.lancashirewellbeing.co.uk
The contact phone number(s) and email addresses will stay the same.
If you want to refer an individual into the Service, to simplify the process, there is now an online referral form on their website. There are three ways in which you can refer an individual to the Lancashire Wellbeing Service:
- By phone, on 03450 138 208 (local rate number)
- Email Form
- online referral form, http://www.lancashirewellbeing.co.uk/referral-form which has been designed for ease of use, and is just ONE page of basic information.
In the contact section, http://www.lancashirewellbeing.co.uk/contact there is now a box you can use for a member of the Engagement Team to visit you and/or your organisation to discuss the Lancashire Wellbeing Service and how they can work with you. They can attend 1:1 meetings, staff/team meetings, away/information days etc. Alternatively, to arrange a visit, you can contact Craig Chapman – craigchapman@lancswellbeing.co.uk / 01772 552891 / 07990 817164.
Clinical Pharmacy Scheme to Benefit Half a Million Lancashire and South Cumbria Patients
Lancashire and South Cumbria will get five additional clinical pharmacists in general practice following the latest announcement of successful applications for the national programme. The third wave of areas that will benefit from having a clinical pharmacist were announced by NHS England this week and include Greater Preston, West Lancashire, East Lancashire and Morecambe Bay.
It will bring the total number of clinical pharmacists working in surgeries across Lancashire and South Cumbria to 29, serving 548,000 people – one-third of the area’s population.
Clinical pharmacists work as part of the surgery team to resolve day-to-day medicine issues and consult with and treat patients directly. This includes providing extra help to manage long-term conditions, advice for those on multiple medications and better access to health checks. With extra training, they can also consult with patients and prescribe medication. Read more.
Learning Disability England Newsletter
Read it here.
New providers for eye services announced in West Lancashire
The NHS in West Lancashire has announced two new providers which will soon be providing local community ophthalmology (eye services) and community macular services.
Following a stringent procurement process carried out by NHS West Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), the local healthcare commissioner has evaluated, and moderated bids received and has selected two successful providers. Isight will provide tier 2 ophthalmology services and SpaMedica will provide community macular services for the communities of West Lancashire.
The ‘tier 2’ means this is a community service for minor treatments only such as lids/lashes tears, red eye, corneal conditions, foreign bodies, corneal ulcers, contact lens-induced corneal infections and flashes/floaters. Patients can still access support in their community through opticians and receive specialist treatment at hospital providers as required.
In a joint statement, Drs Vik Mittal and Rakesh Jaidka, local GPs and board members at NHS West Lancashire CCG, who were involved in this procurement said:
“This process is all about improving what’s on offer locally for patients of West Lancashire. We know from conversations with clinicians and the community that patients are often having to travel out of area for treatments which places additional burden and time on those patients and their families.
“We are confident these commissioned services will now improve patient experience by having services available across West Lancashire where possible, and reduce waiting times.
“These services will also reduce unnecessary burden placed on GPs, as opticians, walk in centres and A&E departments will be able to directly refer into the service without having the need to go through their GPs.
“…..The ‘go live’ dates for these services to start will be 1 April 2018.
“Local residents are assured that all services commissioned within this process will continue to be delivered as part of the NHS and will remain free at the point of contact.”
A full briefing of what has taken place can be found on the CCG’s website www.westlancashireccg.nhs.uk. If members of the public have a question relating to this, please contact the CCG via wlccg.myview@nhs.net.
Carers Support West Lancs Latest Bulletin
Read the latest update here.
Say Goodbye to the Waiting Times with the GP Extended Access Pilot
Health chiefs in West Lancashire are reminding residents over the festive period, that they can now visit a GP or practice nurse in the evenings and weekends at a time that suits them.
Your local GP should always be your first point of contact for any non-emergency illnesses that can’t be treated yourself through self-care. In West Lancashire a GP will be available from 8am to 6.30pm on weekdays (although local practice times may vary). However, to address the concerns of residents who may find it difficult to see a GP at a time that suits them, the extended access pilot has been rolled out across West Lancashire.
The extended access pilot is a result of NHS England’s General Practice Forward View, which is a national guide for primary care services over the next five years. Within the guide, it states that GP access in England is to be improved to provide greater GP access to the population at evenings and weekends within the next five years.
In West Lancashire, patients can now visit a GP in the evenings and weekends at certain times. The practices and times are as follows:
- Tuesdays from 6.30pm to 8pm at the Skelmersdale Family Practice
- Wednesdays from 6.30pm to 8pm at the Matthew Ryder Clinic in Upholland
- Wednesdays from 6.30pm to 8pm at the Tarleton Group Practice
- Thursdays from 6.30pm to 8pm at the West Lancashire Health Centre in Ormskirk
- Saturdays from 10am to 4pm at the Sandy Lane Health Centre in Skelmersdale (GP, nurse and blood clinic)
- Sundays from 10am to 2pm at the Sandy Lane Health Centre in Skelmersdale (GP and nurse only)
Making an appointment to see a GP in the evening and at weekends is as simple as calling your local GP practice and making an appointment through the reception as you would do normally, patients can choose which practice they visit from those that are offering this service when making their appointment.
If residents are not currently registered with a GP, you can find out where your local GP surgery is at www.nhs.uk or by calling 0300 311 22 33.
Dr Peter Gregory, a GP in Ormskirk and GP executive lead at NHS West Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), said:
“GPs across West Lancashire have been listening to the concerns of their patients and fully appreciate just how difficult they were finding it to make an appointment at a day and time that suits them, be it due to waiting times to see a GP, or the lack of availability of appointments at convenient times.
“Ultimately, as GPs, the health and wellbeing of our patients is at the forefront of what we do and collectively we have championed the extended access pilot so that we can address these very real issues and make sure that we are available for patients when they need us.
“Collectively, with GPs listening to the concerns of patients and addressing the lack of availability of GP appointments, along with patients using self-care in order to manage those conditions that can easily be managed at home or by a visit to their local pharmacy, we can all help ensure, that especially during these winter months, that GPs are readily available for those instances when a patient really does need to visit their local practice.”
CCG want YOU to join their PPG Forum
Are you a member of your local West Lancashire GP practice’s Patient Participation Group (PPG)? Then the CCG want to hear from you. Read More…
Review of Mental Health Services for Children and Young People
The report of the first phase of a Government-commissioned review of mental health services for children and young people in England has been officially released. See website: https://www.cqc.org.uk/news/releases/cqc-completes-initial-review-mental-health-services-children-young-people
Children’s Voices – The Wellbeing of Children with Mental Health Needs in England
This report, released by the Children’s Commissioner, examines the wellbeing of vulnerable groups of children in England and their relationship with mental health services. Qualitative research explores the limited awareness of mental health issues in young people, focusing on their perception of mental health. Read the report now.
Healthwatch Lancashire highlights the voice of GP patients
Healthwatch Lancashire has published a new report that highlights the feedback from 851 patients they spoke to in GP waiting rooms. The aim of this project was to investigate some of the challenges patients have faced when attempting to access health care within their GP surgeries.
The three key themes highlighted were; satisfaction with the level of care received from their practice, issues with booking appointments and lack of awareness of Patient Participation Groups.
On average, the vast majority of patients said they were either satisfied (44%) or very satisfied (51%) with the care provided at their GP practice. However, 50% of the public we spoke to across 25 surgeries in the county struggled to get an urgent appointment on the same day, whilst 21% struggled to get routine appointments.
And whilst 46% said their experience of booking appointments at their GP surgery was excellent, 39% said there could be improvements and 15% felt the service was poor. The majority of patients (88%) did not use their surgery’s online booking system.
It also emerged that there was a trend across Lancashire that patients were unaware of their GP surgery’s Patient Participation Group with 86% of patients unaware of the service.
Healthwatch Lancashire shared its findings with six Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCG) and the Healthier Lancashire and South Cumbria Change Programme. This resulted in a response from two of the CCGs and the Healthier Lancashire and South Cumbria Change Programme.
The full report, ‘Your Voice: GP Surgeries across Lancashire’ can be read and downloaded online at: www.healthwatchlancashire.co.uk/reports/reports
CQC’s State of care 2016/17
The annual assessment of health and social care in England, State of Care looks at the trends, highlights examples of good and outstanding care, and identifies factors that maintain high-quality care.
See website to read the full report: http://www.cqc.org.uk/publications/major-report/state-care?report=
Healthwatch Lancashire Captures Views about Access to Mental Health Services
Healthwatch Lancashire has published a report that captures views from the public about access to mental health services and the issues they face. The report comes as part of a three-month-long project with the aim of giving service providers insight in to what the public know and feel about mental health and the services available to them.
Results from the report show that:
- 56% of people we spoke to said they had been affected by self-harm. The age group that reported this the most was 36-45 year olds.
- 62% of people we spoke to said the information on mental health and services is not accessible and helpful.
- Almost 70% of the people we spoke to said it would be helpful to have more online/app services to support with mental health.
- 17% of those who chose to comment told us that their mental health is being affected by employment, either current or lack of.
- When asked ‘What changes would you like to see regarding mental health by the year 2020?’ 22% of people said they would like more support in general and easier access to services. A further 7% specified that they would like more local community support.
The project saw staff and volunteers from Healthwatch Lancashire engaging with people in a variety of settings and speaking to a range of groups including young people, LGBT groups, learning disability groups, as well as revisiting some groups from the previous homelessness and deprivation project.
The full report ‘Access to mental health services’ can be read and downloaded online at www.healthwatchlancashire.co.uk/reports
Healthwatch Lancashire and Healthwatch Blackpool Launch Children and Young People Project
Healthwatch Lancashire and Healthwatch Blackpool are working together on a project looking at what matters most to children and young people about the health and social care services they receive.
Eleven young people, known as Healthwatch Champions, supported by The Children’s Society, engaged with 198 peers through a range of activities including care circles, mystery shopping and gathering case studies.
This highlighted key themes such as health professionals talking to parents instead of directly to them, requiring more separation in hospitals for teenagers and younger children, as well as issues relating to accessing gynaecological and mental health services.
The report compiled from these findings highlighted the need for Healthwatch Lancashire and Healthwatch Blackpool to undertake further exploration in to the experiences and needs of children and young people and how their needs need to be considered and acted on by providers and commissioners.
From October to December 2017, an extensive programme of public engagement will take place and children and young people can also complete the following online survey:
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/HWchildrenandyoungpeople
The feedback received will be used to compile a report that will be shared with those who plan, run and regulate health and social care services to highlight how these services can be improved for children and young people.
The initial report with the Healthwatch Champions and The Children’s Society – “Listen to me.” – can be read and downloaded online at: http://healthwatchlancashire.co.uk/reports/reports/
Betterpoints
Skelmersdale residents are being encouraged to feel better, get fitter, and earn rewards with a new app. Residents of Skelmersdale can now use the BetterPoints smartphone app to track their walking, running or cycling and by so doing earn points to cash in for high street shopping vouchers – or to donate to charity.
Points can also be earned for volunteering time, so local groups can encourage their volunteers to gain rewards for their volunteer hours.
The Skelmersdale Reward scheme is being supported by Well Skelmersdale, West Lancs CVS and Active West Lancs.
If your group is interested in finding out more about how to reward volunteers via this scheme or would like to sign up to become a local charity that people can donate their points to, please contact Debbie, Nicci or Sarah at CVS on email: enquiries@wlcvs.org or ring 01695-733737.
Cottage Lane Mission’s New Free Befriending Service
The focus is mainly for those who have no family (or family are far away) and live alone. All the volunteers are DBS checked and will have had references taken and had an induction & dementia friends session.
Please promote this service which is for anyone, either living in their own home or a care environment and includes people living with dementia.
Please contact Amanda Boult – friends@clmchurchormskirk.org.uk – if you have any questions. Help with recruiting volunteers is also needed.
Making Better Use of NHS 111
The Health Service wants us to use NHS 111 as the first port of call when we need urgent treatment. The big hope is that this will take some of the pressure off Accident and Emergency departments, by directing users to the most appropriate place. The mantra is ‘phone up before you turn up’.
Mike Wedgeworth, Chair of Healthwatch Lancashire says: “In the light of our research, there is a long way to go before the public gets the message.
“We recently spoke to 153 patients in the A&E Departments of six local hospitals. We asked “Did you speak to anybody before you attended?” Of the 146 who answered, only 22 said NHS 111, whereas 66 said nobody, 36 said my GP and 10 said 999.”
Another Healthwatch Lancashire survey conducted two years ago of over 1,000 people all over the County showed that although 80% had heard of NHS 111, only 42% had made use of it.
All this suggests, and the NHS does not deny it, that there is confusion about where to go for help. To ease this problem, it will establish new Urgent Treatment Centres, which will be open at least 12 hours each day, 7 days a week. They will be led and staffed by GPs and be able to do simple diagnostic tests. Crucially, appointments will be booked direct via NHS 111.
A team of experts is working to open these centres across Lancashire. The expectation is that, by using them, patients will get the most appropriate treatment more quickly, and avoid the need to travel and queue at A and E.
Healthwatch Lancashire will keep a careful eye on the new plan, and report any problems patients experience as it unfolds.
More must be done to get more GPs in Lancashire says Healthwatch Lancashire
Mike Wedgeworth, Chairman of Healthwatch Lancashire, says: “The Government has promised to provide for 5,000 new GPs by 2020 and Healthwatch Lancashire’s feedback from the public shows that they are urgently needed.
“Our research shows that, whilst everyone who works in the NHS is hugely appreciated by those who use it, there is a growing problem of finding timely appointments with our GPs. 50% of the public we spoke to across 25 surgeries in the county struggled to get an urgent appointment on the same day, whilst 21% struggled to get routine appointments.
“And whilst 46% said their experience of booking appointments at their GP surgery was excellent, 39% said there could be improvements and 15% felt the service was poor.
“So, it must be good news that there the number of GPs in training is going up.
“But it takes at least seven years to train a GP.
“Meanwhile, in Lancashire, there are fewer GPs than there were two years ago and the numbers in some parts of the County are going significantly into reverse.
“In 2015, figures from NHS Digital showed that there were 77 GPs for every 100,000 of the population: now there are 75, amounting to a drop overall of 19 full-time equivalent posts. Although some parts of the County have seen numbers rise slightly, in Blackpool, Chorley and South Ribble, Preston, West Lancashire and Fylde and Wyre they have gone down. Blackburn with Darwen has gone up by just one, and there is no change in East Lancashire.
“People often say that the South East of England is so prosperous that it seems like another country. That seems true for GPs also where a slight rise in their number means that there are now 86 GPs per 100,000 compared with Lancashire’s 77.
“All the experts say that General Practice is at the heart of the Health Service. The evidence of our research absolutely confirms this. So, quite simply, more must be done to get more GPs in Lancashire.”
Dr Amanda Doyle, Lancashire and South Cumbria Sustainability and Transformation Partnership Lead, and a Blackpool GP, comments: “Evidence shows that if trainee GPs have a good experience in their placements, they are likely to stay in the area. Part of our work is to ensure that this is possible, so strengthening the local GP workforce.”
Update from the Patients Association
The Patients Association helpline is no longer using its 0845 608 4455 number but 020 8423 8999.
The Patients Association helpline is the national non-disease specific helpline for anyone trying to navigate the health and social care systems in the UK. The helpline service is free and confidential and provides practical advice on:
– access to treatment
– concern about treatment
– how to make a complaint about any health or social care service
– social care enquiries
– patient’s rights and responsibilities
– changing (or finding) your GP or dentist
– seeing your medical records
For more information see the website and for downloadable information resources.
Healthwatch Lancashire and Healthwatch Blackpool highlight the voice of A&E service users
Healthwatch Lancashire and Healthwatch Blackpool have published a new report that brings together feedback and findings from six individual reports as part of its Patient Engagement Day programme of work in A&E departments across Lancashire and Blackpool.
The aim of this programme was to investigate patient’s views and experiences of using A&E departments in Lancashire and Blackpool, particularly in relation to which A&E they chose to visit, how they travelled to A&E, if patients had taken advice before deciding to attend A&E and if they were happy with the service they had received.
In total, 153 people in A&E waiting rooms shared their experiences including people at Ormskirk and District General Hospital.
Findings within the report show that 45% of patients had not gained medical advice prior to attending A&E, whilst 55% of patients had been in contact with or accessed medical advice through services such as their GP, NHS 111, ambulance service, walk-in centre, attending a follow up appointment or on an NHS website.
Of the patients who commented that they had gained medical advice prior to attending A&E, 97% had been advised to attend.
95% of patients said they were happy with the service they had received so far. 5% said they were not happy, with the majority discussing waiting times as an issue.
The full report, ‘Your Voice: A&E Departments in Lancashire’ can be read and downloaded online at:
Lancashire: www.healthwatchlancashire.co.uk/reports/reports
Help to Avoid Any Unnecessary Trips To GPs and A&E – Resources Available
West Lancs CCG is reminding our local community how they can self-care and avoid any unnecessary trips to their GP and A&E.
Many minor ailments and conditions can easily be managed at home by simply visiting a local pharmacy and keeping a well-stocked medicine cabinet and the CCG is helping residents to understand what they can do themselves.
To help raise awareness, the CCG has produced a suite of materials that they hope you may be able to help display and share. These include the following:
- Main poster (available in A4/A3)
- Poster focusing on ibuprofen and paracetamol (available in A4/A3)
- Main leaflet
If you can display and share these materials in your own networks, they can arrange for printed copies to be sent to you on request. Please email Marco.Giannini@westlancashireccg.nhs.uk
This encouragement to self-care also links to the July announcement about changes made to prescriptions. As a reminder, please read the news release.
Healthwatch Lancashire launches online voice group
Healthwatch Lancashire has launched an online voice group to encourage people to have their say and help influence change to their health and social care services. The ‘Voice Box Online’ Facebook group is open to members of the public of all ages and backgrounds who are experts in their own communities. They will be encouraged to talk about what matters most to them about the care they receive in their local area as well as be a ‘sounding board’ for the work of their local Healthwatch.
Healthwatch Lancashire will also be taking its Voice Box on tour across the county in a series of pop-up events later this year. This will be a great opportunity to come and speak to the team about what matters most to you when it comes to health and social care.
Please read the Facebook group guidelines before joining by clicking here.
To join the Voice Box Online Facebook group, please click here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/315202235608544/
You can leave your feedback on health or social care services at any time on the Healthwatch Lancashire website at healthwatchlancashire.co.uk/services.
Listening Hands Therapy
Listening Hands Therapy aims to provide peer to peer massage instruction in primary schools, to help children to relax and focus, and to learn to care for each other and themselves. Read their first newsletter .
Young Addaction Outcome of Mind and Body Programme
The programme has been evaluated by the University of Bath, if anyone requires any further information please do not hesitate to contact Naomi Burrows on 07771651163 / naomi.burrows@addaction.org.uk
They have run the program in Lancashire, Kent and Cornwall, young males in Cornwall made a short video about their experiences https://youtu.be/OIn-YfqUEvA
Improving Mental Health Services in Lancashire: Next Phase Agreed
Further improvements to mental health services in Lancashire have been agreed following a decision to conclude a long term programme of work.
Read More
Life expectancy stalling
This briefing from the Kings Fund provides an update on progress since the 2008 Marmot Review into the most effective evidence-based strategies for reducing health inequalities in England. This update finds that improvements on life expectancy at birth and remaining life expectancy at 65 have slowed since 2010. The analysis also finds that inequalities within and between local authorities have persisted.
Read the Briefing / Read the Marmot Review / see Related resources
Carers UK State of Caring Report 2017
Carers UK has published their latest State of Caring Report. Carers UK carries out an annual survey of carers to collect evidence on a whole range of issues affecting carers’ lives. This year over 6,000 current carers shared their views and experiences on what life is like for carers in 2017. This is the largest State of Caring Survey carried out by Carers UK to date. It looks at the impact of caring on people’s lives including on their health and well-being, finances, ability to work. It also considers their experiences of services and how they can get practical support with caring including experiences of Care Act assessments.
State Of Adult Social Carer Services 2014-2017 report
Most services meet the ‘Mum Test’ but there is still too much poor care, finds CQC.
While the majority of services are safe and of a high quality and many are improving, too many people across England are living in care homes and receiving care and support in their own homes that is not good enough.
In a national report the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has found that over three-quarters of adult social care services are currently rated as Good (77%, 16,351) and 2% (353) are currently rated as Outstanding. However, CQC has found considerable variation with nearly a fifth (19%, 4,073) of services being rated as Requires Improvement and 2% (343) as Inadequate.
Read the report. #StateofSocialCare #QualityMatters
The state of care in mental health services 2014 to 2017
Findings from the CQC’s programme of comprehensive inspections of specialist mental health services. Read report.
Healthwatch Lancashire captures views about access to mental health services
Healthwatch Lancashire has published a report that captures views from the public about access to mental health services and the issues they face.
The report comes as part of a three-month-long project with the aim of giving service providers insight in to what the public know and feel about mental health and the services available to them. Read more.
Healthwatch Lancashire mystery shops hospitals to review access for the visually impaired
Healthwatch Lancashire has published a mystery shopping report, focusing on how accessible hospitals in Lancashire are for the visually impaired community.
Between December 2016 and March 2017, Healthwatch Lancashire completed a mystery shopping activity to test the accessibility of 11 hospitals in Lancashire for people with a visual impairment. Read more.
Breast cancer
A report on breast cancer across the Lancashire and South Cumbria Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) area has been added to the Lancashire Insight cancer web page.
The findings show that, both nationally and within the Lancashire and South Cumbria STP area, although more women are being screened for breast cancer, screening uptake rates are declining. It is felt these reductions are largely owing to increases in the eligible populations in both the Lancashire and South Cumbria STP area and England, which are placing greater demand on screening services. Local service providers within parts of the Lancashire and South Cumbria STP area have also reported issues with staffing levels and equipment problems. NHS England is working with service providers to address these matters.
The increase in the number of women being screened is likely to be having an effect on the two-week wait breast cancer referral rates which are increasing across the STP. Three local CCGs (Blackpool, Fylde & Wyre and West Lancashire) recorded significantly higher two-week wait breast cancer referral rates than England.
Trend line analysis found that, whilst breast cancer incidence rates are increasing, breast cancer mortality rates are declining. Although it is felt that increasing screening and diagnosis rates tend to lead to better patient outcomes, locally it was found that Copeland, which has significantly higher levels of cancer incidence rates than England, has significantly high mortality rates, and Pendle, which has significantly lower incidence rates, was found to have significantly lower mortality rates.
Health Needs Assessment of Asylum seekers and Refugees
A report of a Health Needs Assessment of Asylum seekers and Refugees that was conducted in Lancashire has been published. The Health Needs Assessment aims to describe the current situation of asylum seekers and refugees in the county, their specific health needs and the way they are being met in Lancashire. The report contains recommendations around what interventions are likely to have a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of this population group.
For more information about the report please contact Dr Alberto Mateo – Alberto.mateo@lancashire.gov.uk / Alberto.mateo@nhs.net
Healthwatch Lancashire speak to service users at Ormskirk and District General Hospital
Healthwatch Lancashire has published a ‘Patient Engagement Day’ report, which captures the experiences of service users at Ormskirk and District General Hospital. Read more.
Surviving or Thriving: the State of the Nation’s Mental Health
Read the report here.
Children and Families Referral Appointment Centre Hub
Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust has launched a new integrated referral appointment centre to take referrals and arrange appointments for a range of children and adolescent services across Lancashire. Read more
New video tells story of Well Skelmersdale
This short film is about Skem, told by the people of Skem. It is 11 minutes long and can be viewed here. Please get involved, ask questions, and like and share our story via social media and other online channels.
The aim of Well Skelmersdale is to create a connected community, by revolutionising the town, into a hub for health, wellbeing, leisure, enterprise, culture, learning and raising educational aspiration.
In order to achieve this, Well Skelmersdale will unleash the potential of its residents, places and assets and it will connect skills, education and employment. In addition, it will also provide a networking opportunity, bringing together community businesses, voluntary, faith and community organisations (both public and private). Finally, it will utilise to its fullest, the green space that that the town is blessed with and will beautify its built environment, reframing health and ultimately making a real difference to real people.
If you would like to learn more about Well Skelmersdale, you can visit the website, or get in touch via wellskelmersdale@gmail.com.
Changes to visiting times at Southport and Ormskirk hospitals
Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust has changed visiting times to ensure patients can enjoy their lunch without distractions.
Visiting times at Southport and Ormskirk hospitals will now run from 1pm to 8.30pm. This does not include maternity and neonatal wards which have their own visiting times. Visitors who come in to assist patients with meals are still welcome from midday, they are just asked to identify themselves to a member of staff on arrival.
If friends and family find these visiting times are not convenient, they can speak to the nurse in charge of the ward who will be able to help.
Hours changing at West Lancashire NHS walk-in centres
The opening hours of West Lancashire Health Centre and Skelmersdale Walk-in Centre have changed.
West Lancashire Health Centre, which is at Ormskirk hospital, will continue to open at 8am every day but the last booking to see a nurse will now be 7.30pm instead of 9pm.
Skelmersdale Walk-in Centre at The Concourse will open an hour later at 8am with the last booking to see a nurse changing to 7.30pm, instead of 9pm, Monday to Friday. Weekend opening times of 9am to 5pm remain the same.
Anyone who thinks they need medical help outside the walk-in centre opening hours should examine their options.
When you need medical help or advice fast, but it is not a 999 emergency, call the NHS 111 service. NHS 111 is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and calls are free from mobiles and landlines.
For more information please visit www.examineyouroptions.info.
Greater Access to GP appointments to WL residents
Residents of West Lancashire can now access GP services at weekends, thanks to a new extended hours service pilot, launched by NHS West Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).
The extended hours service allows residents to see a GP, a practice nurse and attend phlebotomy appointments on Saturdays, from 10am until 4pm and Sundays from 10am until 2pm at the Sandy Lane Health Centre, Skelmersdale, WN8 8LA.
This new service is available to all patients in West Lancashire, with appointments made simply by going through their usual GP surgery.
In addition, the extended hours service has now been extended further, with additional GP appointments* available on Thursday and Friday evenings from 6.30pm until 8pm at the Walk-in Centre at Ormskirk and District General Hospital, Wigan Road, Ormskirk, L39 2AZ
This new pilot is a result of NHS England’s General Practice Forward View, which is a national guide for primary care services over the next five years. Within the guide, it states that GP access in England is to be improved to provide greater GP access to the population at evenings and weekends within the next five years.
To keep up to date will all the latest health and social care news in West Lancashire, residents can sign up to NHS West Lancashire CCG’s My View, by visiting their website: http://www.westlancashireccg.nhs.uk/myview/
CQC Chief Inspector of Hospitals inspection
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) confirmed significant improvements in services it highlighted during an inspection of the Trust in April 2017.
The North West Regional Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport hospital improved two levels from Inadequate to Good with some aspects of outstanding practice. Inspectors also noted improvements the maternity service had made at Ormskirk hospital, rating it Requires Improvement. It was previously rated Inadequate.
Overall the Trust remains rated Requires Improvement, the same as the majority of trusts the CQC inspects.
Musculoskeletal (MSK) services
Read more about the changes to MSK services in West Lancashire.
If you have any queries please email myview@westlancashireccg.nhs.uk
Community Diabetes Care Review
Since 1996, the percentage of adults in England with diabetes has doubled. My diabetes, my care looks at people’s experiences of diabetes care across England and the support they are given to self-manage their condition.
MP raises awareness of avoiding alcohol in pregnancy
MP Bill Esterson is supporting a campaign urging women to protect their babies by not drinking alcohol during pregnancy. He was speaking during a visit to the maternity team at Ormskirk hospital to raise awareness of the issue on Foetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder (FASD) Day. Mr Esterson is the chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on FASD. He sponsored a Private Members’ Bill in Parliament last year calling for better labelling on containers carrying alcohol.
Although the Bill ran out of time – as is often the case with this type of proposed legislation – the Chief Medical Officer changed her advice to mums-to-be and women trying for a baby in January to abstain from drinking alcohol.
FASD is a condition caused when a child is exposed to alcohol in the womb, leaving a baby with a range of physical, behavioural and cognitive difficulties for the rest of their life. The World Health Organisation estimates that FASD affects 1% of children or the equivalent of 7,000 babies born in England and Wales every year. In some areas the numbers could be significantly higher.
Older people denied personalised, effective and responsive care due to poor integration across local systems
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has reviewed how well different health and care services work together to support the needs of older people in England.
In its report, Building Bridges, Breaking Barriers, it warns that despite a widespread commitment for integration across the sectors, substantial progress is needed to better support people who use a number of services, reduce hospital admissions and avoid confusion about where to go for help. The report concludes that with a growing elderly population, now is the time to act. Read more…
Public Health England launches One You
Living healthily in midlife can double your chances of being healthy at 70 and beyond. Public Health England has launched ‘One You’, the first ever nationwide campaign to address preventable disease in adults. Click here to read more.
Stroke Association Take a Moment Campaign
The Stroke Association are raising awareness of the link between high blood pressure and stroke. They are asking people to take a moment to order a free blood pressure information pack.
The pack is available to download from their website at www.stroke.org.uk/moments and provides information about the link between high blood pressure and stroke, details about where to get a blood pressure check and tips on how to maintain good blood pressure control.
New Sugar Smart campaign launched
The Change4Life Sugar Smart campaign encourages families to cut back on sugar and providing easy-to-follow tips and advice on how to do this. The new Sugar Smart app, available on the Apple Store or Google Play, helps parents see how much sugar there is in everyday food and drink to keep families informed about the sugar in their shopping basket and cupboards. Change4Life has also created short film to warn parents about the health harms of eating and drinking too much sugar, including becoming overweight and tooth decay. For more information, read the press release – https://www.gov.uk/government/news/5-year-olds-eat-and-drink-their-body-weight-in-sugar-every-year
Patient Online
NHS England wants to increase the use of online GP services and would like to ask other partners to share #patientonline on their websites, social media and newsletters. Many GPs offer online services to their patients for which patients have to sign up. Online services do not replace traditional ways of contacting your GP practice, over the phone or in person. They simply offer additional ways to interact with your GP, making it easier and more convenient. For more information, go to: http://www.nhs.uk/aboutNHSChoices/aboutnhschoices/find-and-choose-services/Pages/gp-online-services.aspx and https://www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/pe/patient-online/
CQC Invisible Conditions Campaign
CQC have launched an Invisible Conditions Campaign targeting those with long term conditions such as depression, diabetes, heart disease and COPD. They know that people living with long term conditions access health and social care services on a regular basis and so their feedback on care will help CQC inspectors decide when, where and what to inspect. They want to hear their experiences – both good and bad.
CQC will be engage with people with invisible conditions on Twitter (@CareQualityComm) asking them to share their experiences of care using the hashtag #InvisibleConditions. To find out more about the campaign, visit http://www.cqc.org.uk/content/invisible-conditions
Act FAST for Stroke
Public Health England and the Stroke Association urge everyone to Act FAST if they spot any one of the signs of stroke.
A person loses 2 million nerve cells every minute that they do not receive medical treatment during a stroke. Nerve cells are the core components of the brain and the more that are lost, the greater the chance of permanent disability or death. The faster you act the more of the person you save.
Public Health England and the Stroke Association have produced a video showing what could happen if you Act FAST compared to waiting to see if someone gets better: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc9OF64H4sE&feature=youtu.be&utm_source=Stroke%20Association&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=6289227_CAP01%2019%2F10%2F15%20FAST&utm_content=FAST%20video
Please spread the word about stroke by sharing this FAST video with the wider community. It’s already reached 35,000 people, let’s keep it going. See more: http://stroke-email.org.uk/1VKM-3QSSR-90KWFD9CB9/cr.aspx?v=2
Understanding personal health budgets
People eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare now have a right to have a personal health budget, and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are currently looking at who else in their area could benefit from the flexibility of managing their care in this way. More information can be found on the NHS Choices website.
Get online to be a click away from improving your health
NHS England is encouraging everyone to use the internet to help stay healthy. For e.g. you can take a course to see how the internet can help you manage your health. Websites such as NHS Choices can help with those little health niggles, or you could book fitness classes online and order prescriptions. Find your nearest UK Online centre at www.ukonlinecentres.com or call 0800 77 1234.
Progress Report – Improvements To Care In The Last Days And Hours Of Life
See website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/improvements-to-care-in-the-last-days-and-hours-of-life
Supporting smoking cessation using a harm reduction approach
Royal Society for Public Health has produced a report which sets out how they can further reduce smoking rates by encouraging smokers onto safer forms of nicotine. Tobacco contains nicotine along with many other chemicals, but nicotine by itself is fairly harmless. Nicotine is harmful in cigarettes largely because it is combined with other damaging chemicals such as tar and arsenic, and as a highly addictive substance getting hooked on nicotine is one of the prime reasons why people become dependent on cigarettes. Electronic cigarettes and Nicotine Replacement Therapy (gum, lozenges, and patches) contain nicotine but don’t contain the harmful substances found in cigarettes. Read the full report and the position paper. Please join in the conversation.
More inclusive Friends and Family Test
Updated guidance has been published to help the Test be more inclusive and now covers services across the NHS that are provided to children and young people – with special provisions for looked after children – as well as patients with learning disabilities, dementia, language and literacy issues or patients who are deaf or deafblind. More information: http://www.england.nhs.uk/2015/07/15/making-nhs-patient-feedback-more-inclusive/
Updated NHS Constitution and Handbook Published
The revisions following consultation include a focus on importance of transparency and accountability, greater prominence to mental health, and reflect the recommendations of the Francis enquiry. More information: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-nhs-constitution-for-england
Infographic shows how your voice makes a difference
Healthwatch Lancashire have produced an illustration to demonstrate how your feedback makes a difference to the health and social care services in Lancashire.
The infographic aims to simplify how Healthwatch Lancashire are working towards improving health and social care in the county by listening to the views, opinions and concerns of residents and raising these with those who manage, run and commission services. Healthwatch Lancashire challenge when intelligence shows that services need to improve and celebrate when we are told that they are performing well to share best practice. See website: http://healthwatchlancashire.co.uk/news/new-infographic-shows-how-your-voice-makes-a-difference/
Right Wheelchair, Right Time, Right Now Campaign
The Right Wheelchair, Right Time, Right Now Campaign which aims to improve wheelchair services in England has been launched. Visit www.rightwheelchair.org.uk and pledge your support for the campaign to improve wheelchair services.
NHS Citizen update
NHS Citizen has kicked off with Gather – a website and programme of events for everyone to talk about how the NHS can improve. Citizens are discussing more than 20 conversations on different topics already.
Be Clear on Cancer
PHE has launched a national Be Clear on Cancer campaign to drive awareness of the risk of breast cancer amongst women over 70 including increasing their knowledge of lesser-known symptoms.
A Focus on Skelmersdale
Please click the link to read the full report on Skelmersdale commisioned by West Lancs CCG – www.westlancashireccg.nhs.uk/resources/corporate-documents/ . The introduction to the document is here – www.westlancashireccg.nhs.uk/introducing-a-new-report-the-seven-wards-a-focus-on-skelmersdale/
Healthwatch Report – Safely home: What happens when people leave hospital and care settings?
Please click the link to read the report – www.healthwatch.co.uk/safely-home
Expert nutritionists have recommended halving sugar in diet
Expert nutritionists have recommended halving sugar in diet – click here.
NCB – Improving Male Health for the Next Generation
A report, Improving Male Health for the Next Generation, presents findings from a survey of 138 men. The 2014 survey asked men about their approaches to getting help and advice on health issues, and what they think might help boys and young men growing up now to look after their health as they get older. More information: http://ncb.org.uk/areas-of-activity/health-and-well-being/health-and-social-care-unit/resources-and-publications
From Evidence Into Action: Opportunities to protect and improve the nation’s health
This document published at the same time as the NHS 5 year Forward View should be read in tandem with it. Public Health England has looked at the evidence to identify where they should focus efforts to make the most difference for public health. More information –https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/from-evidence-into-action-opportunities-to-protect-and-improve-the-nations-health
NHS England takes big steps towards patient safety
NHS England is funding a new national programme to improve the safety of patients and ensure learning sits at the heart of healthcare. A Patient Safety Collaborative will be established to empower patients, carers and staff to highlight, challenge and implement local improvements in patient care. More information –http://www.nhsiq.nhs.uk/news-events/news/health-secretary-launches-new-patient-safety-collaboratives.aspx
The NHS Five Year Forward View
The NHS Five Year Forward View has been published and sets out a vision for the future of the NHS. It has been developed by the partner organisations that deliver and oversee health and care services including NHS England, Public Health England, Monitor, Health Education England, the Care Quality Commission and the NHS Trust Development Authority. Patient groups, clinicians and independent experts have also contributed. More information – www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/futurenhs/
