A number of outstanding historical events took place in the spring, including the opening of the Eiffel tower, the great escape and the outbreak of the Spanish flu, to name just a few.
Spring itself is something of an outstanding event - a time of renewal and refocus. Here at Healthwatch Wandsworth we're focussing our attention, not only on the year ahead, but also on how we did last year and what we might do better to make sure that healthcare services keep on improving. You can help us by completing our yearly survey (more on that below).
Don't forget, your opinion really counts and could make a difference to the way our local health and social care services are run.
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Have you taken our 2018-19 Annual Survey?
Time is fast running out to take our Annual Survey (deadline 19 April). It only takes 10 minutes to complete and will give you the opportunity to tell us what is important to you regarding your health and care.
We share what you tell us with those in charge of running services and your response could also help us find key areas of focus, or need, for the coming year. All responses will be kept anonymous and confidential.
Take our 2018-19 Annual Survey.
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Volunteer with us!
Volunteers are vital to our work and help us make sure that local people are able to influence local services.
We have several different volunteer roles available - you could help us at key meetings, with our admin tasks or by helping to go out and gather the views of people at community events and services.
Find out more about our volunteering opportunities here.
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Supporting Mental Health in Wandsworth
News from our Assembly
The many levels and layers of mental health support services in our community were the focus of discussions at our public event back in February.
We were given an update on the work being done in children and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) from Robert Dyer, Wandsworth CCG's Commissioning Manager; and we discovered how Talk Wandsworth can help people manage lower level mental health problems or get them on the road to recovery following a crisis.
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We also saw how the relatively new service, Primary Care Plus, can play a vital role in our getting adequate mental health support early on, through our local GP surgery.
If you weren't able to attend but would like to tell us us about your experience of mental health services in Wandsworth, please email us - information@healthwatchwandsworth.co.uk. Be sure to include details of the service you used and the particular issue that you faced. We'll make sure that this is fed back to those in charge.
Our next public event will be happening in May - further details can be found below.
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Update from the Voluntary Sector Forum
6 March 
The Voluntary Sector Forum helps to connect local people, voluntary sector organisations and community services in such a way that all benefit from the services that are on offer in Wandsworth.
At the last Forum on 6 March there were some lively discussions, including a short video presentation from Free2b Alliance, an organisation that works with LGBTQ+ young people and parents to promote awareness. Presentations and videos from the day are available here.
Find out more about the work of the Voluntary Sector Coordination Project here.
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Spotlight on: Enter & View
Mary Seacole Rehab Ward
Queen Mary's Hospital (Roehampton)
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We were interested to see how the Inpatient Elderly Rehabilitation Service on the Mary Seacole ward at Queen Mary’s Hospital in Roehampton compared with similar services in Wandsworth. So in November of last year we arranged to visit the ward and met with a number of patients, staff, managers and senior clinicians.
Although some were positive about the standards of care, on the day of our visit the ward was not fully staffed and the residents seemed to want more stimulus and entertainment.
Our findings, conclusions and recommendations are included in our report. We sent the report to the ward manager at Mary Seacole who has responded positively to a number of our recommendations for improvement. Both reports can be located on our website.
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What's it like in your shoes?
South West London Mental Health Trust Launches Patient Engagement Programme
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South West London and St George's NHS mental health trust wants to know what staff, service users and carers think about the Trust and its services. Via their engagement programme - Making Life Better Together - they hope to increase service user influence and reach out to those who might not usually get to have a say.
Can you share your personal experience of care under the Trust? What made a good day in their care; what made a bad day;
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and what can they do so that there are more good days in future. Your feedback will be used to improve everything from patient care to staff recruitment.
From 29 April 2019 they will be holding face-to-face listening sessions with service users and carers - book your place on one of the ‘In Your Shoes’ session here. If you're not able to attend the sessions, fill out their short online survey.
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Do you suffer with a heart condition?
Then we want to hear from you! 
If you take anticoagulant medicines for the heart condition known as ‘atrial fibrillation’ or have been diagnosed with heart failure and find it difficult to manage, we'd like to hear about your experiences.
What most helps you manage your condition, live your life the way you want, and what can services and clinicians do to help you achieve all of the above?
Let us know what you think by completing our very short survey before 12 April. The information you give us will feed in to the improvement of heart services under the NHS’s long term plan.
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Help Improve Stroke Services
If you have ever been treated for a stroke at hospital your experience could help to improve Stroke services across the country.
Newcastle University’s Stroke Research group is using an online patient and public engagement survey to find out what people want from stroke services. The feedback they get will be used to shape these services in future (particularly Thrombectomy provision, or blood clot removal).
If you have any experiences of using stroke services and would like to make a difference to how they work in future, please complete their online survey.
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Learning Disability & Autism Training Consultation
If you have Autism or a learning difficulty, or care for someone who does, then you might be interested in the Government's plans to improve training for health and social care professionals who work with these groups.
They are running a consultation to find out how to make sure staff have the training they need to understand people with learning disabilities or autism, and can make reasonable adjustments to support them.
Click here to complete the survey - closing date 12 April.
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Healthwatch Wandsworth Assembly
22 May
Queen Mary's Hospital (Roehampton)
Our public events give local people an opportunity to hear about - and feedback on - health and social care topics that are of concern to them. We also use them to promote excellent local NHS and community services that people might not know much about.
Our next Assembly will be held at Queen Mary's Hospital in Roehampton, on Wednesday 22 May 2019. We'll be asking you to tell us what you think local service provision should look like. More on the agenda and speakers will be announced on our website nearer the time.
If you want to share your experiences of local services or how easy or difficult you've found it trying to get health care support in the meantime, please do so via our online form.
Please email enquiries@healthwatchwandsworth.co.uk if you would like further information, or to register your interest.
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Connecting your Care
In order to make it easier for healthcare professionals to access an individual's medical records (when they are held by another organisation) South West London Health & Care Partnership (SWL HCP) is launching something called 'Connecting your Care'. 'Connecting your Care' will enable certain people, e.g. your GP, hospital doctors and nurses to access important information about you through a secure system. Having access to this information could help them make the best decisions about your care and could be lifesaving in an emergency situation.
More about how the system works and and how it could affect you is available here or via the SWL HCP website.
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Service User Public Representatives
London Frailty Clinical Leadership Group
The London Frailty Clinical Network is looking for two service user/public representatives to be part of their Clinical Leadership Group.
The role of the service user/public representative involves making sure the voices of patients and the public are represented. You would also attend quarterly meetings and participate in related project work.
To apply for this role please email england.london-scn@nhs.net, or email catherina.nolan@nhs.net for further information. The deadline for expressions of interest is Friday 5 April.
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Proposed New Hospital for Moorfields
Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is proposing to develop a new centre for eye care, research and training. Subject to consultation, the new centre would take around six years to complete and would replace the current services at the Moorfields Eye Hospital in City Road.
This year they will be consulting patients, public, staff and stakeholders and want to know how the proposals might affect you, how you think services should improve and your view of the potential challenges. To start the process they are hosting a series of discussion groups in and around London, from now until early April.
Find out more about their plans and how you can take part in the discussion here.
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Every 15 minutes someone is diagnosed with bowel cancer, the UK’s second biggest cancer killer. The good thing is that bowel cancer is treatable and curable, especially if diagnosed early.
Bowel Cancer Awareness Month (April 2019) is all about empowerment through knowledge. That's why being aware of the key symptoms is so important. If you know what to look out for and things just don’t feel right, arranging to have a chat with your GP can't hurt.
Follow this link for more information and to find out what to do if you have any concerns. If you would like to support Bowel Cancer Awareness Month this April, visit the website for helpful suggestions and tips.
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World Poetry Day - 21 March
21 March celebrated the best of poetry from around the world. Many of us have a favourite poem and some of us are even inspired to have a go at writing it ourselves from time to time.
Amazingly, we found a poem related to health care, courtesy of much-loved poet, Pam Ayres. This one's all about paying a visit to the Dentist. We hope it brings a (white, even) smile to your face.
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Oh, I wish I’d looked after me teeth,
And spotted the dangers beneath
All the toffees I chewed,
And the sweet sticky food.
Oh, I wish I’d looked after me teeth.
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I wish I’d been that much more willin’
When I had more tooth there than fillin’
To give up gobstoppers,
From respect to me choppers,
And to buy something else with me shillin’.
(Read more...)
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Health Histories
The month of March celebrated the anniversary of Japanese inventor Seiichi Miyake's innovative tactile paving, known as tenji in Japan. Tactile paving is the bumpy or striped surfaces you may have seen on stairs, pavements or train platforms - used to help visually impaired pedestrians avoid potential hazards.
Miyake came up with the idea while trying to help a visually impaired friend navigate his way around Okayama City, where the innovative paving was originally introduced 52 years ago. It was later made mandatory by Japan's rail network and other major Japanese cities began using the paving not long afterwards. However it wasn't introduced to countries in the West (the UK, US and Canada) until much later.
The most common types of tactile paving use raised lines or bumps; lines mean the path is safe and bumps alert pedestrians to potential dangers. Although the paving is produced in a variety of colours, it is often yellow to help the partially sighted.
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Anything you'd like to tell us?
We're keen to hear about your experiences of health, social or mental health care services in Wandsworth, so please get in touch and tell us what you think.
We like to hear about everything, the good and the bad, and it really does make a difference.
Phone - 020 8516 7767
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